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The State Department is moving forward with a reorganization that will eliminate the office responsible for resettling Afghan allies.
Some shit you should know before you read: If you’re unaware, the Office of the Coordinator for Afghan Relocation Efforts (CARE) was established in October 2021 by the Biden administration in response to the chaotic US military withdrawal from Afghanistan. Its primary mission was to coordinate the relocation and resettlement of Afghan nationals who had supported the US war effort, such as interpreters, contractors, embassy staff, and their families, many of whom faced threats under Taliban rule. CARE served as a centralized hub within the State Department to streamline visa processing, facilitate evacuations, and oversee the Enduring Welcome initiative, which helped thousands of Afghans begin new lives in the United States. According to public statements and data from advocacy groups like #AfghanEvac, the office played a critical role in relocating tens of thousands of Afghan allies since the withdrawal.
What’s going on now: In a notice sent to Congress, the State Department announced it intends to shut down the Office of the Coordinator for Afghan Relocation Efforts (CARE), with the closure set for July 1, 2025, as part of a broader overhaul. According to the letter obtained by Bloomberg and AP, the office’s responsibilities will be “realigned” under the Afghanistan Affairs Office as part of a broader effort to streamline operations, reduce redundancy, and cut costs across the department. This move is one of more than 300 planned structural changes under President Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency program, which also calls for an 18% reduction in domestic State Department staff, surpassing an earlier proposed 15% cut.
The overhaul also targets several offices connected to immigration, civil rights, and global development programs, which the administration claims no longer aligns with its foreign policy agenda due to what it views as politicized missions. Officials argue the reforms are needed to “refocus on core US foreign policy objectives and the needs of contemporary diplomacy,” and say the shift will create a more streamlined and responsive diplomatic workforce. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has echoed this rationale, calling for the dismantling of what he describes as a bloated and inefficient bureaucracy.
The announcement has drawn sharp bipartisan backlash from lawmakers, veterans groups, and nonprofit organizations who argue that shutting down CARE abandons America’s moral and strategic obligations to Afghan allies who risked their lives supporting US forces. Lawmakers like Senator Jeanne Shaheen and Representative Gregory Meeks issued a joint statement condemning the move as a “gutting” of vital support programs, warning that it would leave vulnerable Afghans without a lifeline and erode US credibility.
