Trump ensures Afghan girls get to U.S. for robotics after visas denied in Kabul
WASHINGTON — A robotics team of six girls from Afghanistan is attending an international competition in Washington after clearing visa obstacles that prompted intervention from U.S. President Donald Trump.
The team was the first to be introduced at an opening ceremony Sunday for the three-day high school competition.
They will compete against entrants from more than 150 countries in the FIRST Global Challenge. It’s thought to be the first global robotics competition designed to encourage youth to pursue careers in math and science. A team from every country in the world was sought.
The Afghan girls are entering a robot they made that can recognize blue and orange and sort balls into correct locations. The team was twice rejected for U.S. visas. They arrived in Washington from their hometown of Herat, Afghanistan, early Saturday after Trump’s last-minute intervention to sidestep the visa system.
Awaiting them at the gate at Washington Dulles International Airport were a U.S. special envoy and Afghan Ambassador Hamdullah Mohib, who described it as a rare moment of celebration for his beleaguered nation.
“Seventeen years ago, this would not have been possible at all,” Mohib said.
“They represent our aspirations and resilience despite having been brought up in a perpetual conflict. These girls will be proving to the world and the nation that nothing will prevent us from being an equal and active member of the international community.”
In the short time since their visa dilemma drew global attention.
Afghanistan isn’t included in Trump’s temporary travel ban, but critics have said the ban is emblematic of a broader effort to put a chill on Muslims entering.
Trump’s personal intervention earlier last week using a rare “parole” mechanism to sidestep the visa system ended a dramatic saga in which the team twice travelled from their home in western Afghanistan through largely Taliban-controlled territory to Kabul, where their visa applications were denied twice.
The U.S. won’t say why the girls were rejected for visas, citing confidentiality, but Mohib said it appears the girls were rebuffed due to concerns they would not return to Afghanistan.