A retired Army Special Forces officer is speaking out against the Trump administration’s immigration policies, warning that they jeopardize the safety of Afghan allies who risked their lives for the U.S. military.
Dewey Yopp, who served in Afghanistan, told CBS News on Wednesday that he owes his life to Amir, a young Afghan interpreter who supported U.S. forces during the War on Terror. “He’s like a son to me,” Yopp said, recounting how Amir saved his life multiple times in combat.
Amir has been living in Kentucky since 2022 after earning a green card for his service to the U.S. military. But now, he and thousands of others face potential deportation after President Donald Trump ended Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Afghan refugees — a move critics say betrays America’s promises to its wartime allies.
“It’s been a slap in the face to see programs that were meant to protect these people taken away,” Yopp said.
Amir, too, expressed his frustration: “Americans made promises to Afghans. Why make those promises if you’re going to break them?”
The comments come amid broader backlash over Trump’s immigration agenda, which has prioritized mass deportations. Since returning to office, Trump has pushed for an aggressive daily target of 3,000 immigration arrests and vowed to deport one million undocumented people by year’s end. However, CBS News reports that ICE is currently falling short of that goal.
Meanwhile, watchdog organizations like the Vera Institute have condemned conditions within the immigration system, citing widespread abuse, neglect, and human rights concerns under the Trump administration’s policies.
The case of Amir has emerged as a stark example of the real-life consequences of those policies, especially for individuals who directly aided U.S. military efforts overseas.
