“Local Afghans and LAJC lobby for exception to refugee pause”
February 13, 2025 - Cville Weekly
CVAA interviewed for CBS19
February 7, 2025
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (CBS19 NEWS) -- A group of about 15 local Afghans and advocates traveled to Capitol Hill to plead their case to Virginia legislators in light of recent executive orders from the White House suspending refugee resettlement.
“Afghanistan was lovely. I wanted to be many things when I was little, but a refugee was not one of them,” said Samman, whose journey to the United States has been anything but simple.
“Afghan refugees head to Washington asking special visas be issued for families”
February 5, 2025
Samman is a 22-year-old college student, majoring in English and political science. She grew up in Afghanistan, but her life there was in danger when U.S. soldiers abruptly left the country. “I had published a book that went against the Taliban, and I only had five hours to pack my entire life in a backpack and leave," she recalls. "To me….