GREENSBORO, N.C. — President Biden said Tuesday the U.S. will stick to its deadline to wrap up the evacuation out of Afghanistan by August 31.
Among the people fleeing Taliban rule are the family of a Greensboro business owner. He and his wife are desperate to rescue 22 loved ones stuck in Kabul.
"They've always wanted to stay there, and it's not until the Taliban took back over that we realized we have to get them out of the situation," Kathryn Hashemi said.
She is desperately trying to help her husband, Sayed, evacuate his family.
"He talked to his mom last night," Kathryn said. "She doesn't want us to go through a lot of trouble to get them out, and that just really says a lot about them."
Three years ago, the couple visited them at their Kabul home for Sayed Hashemi's sister's wedding and Eid celebrations. Sayed grew up there and remembers the freedoms gained when U.S. soldiers arrived 20 years ago.
He said the Taliban's return as troops leave changes everything.
"It's just like everything that we got in the last 20 years, we just lost in the blink of an eye," Sayed said.
His father is a former police officer. His mother and sister work at schools, but they don't know what will happen to their careers if they stay in the country.
They are also concerned that his nephews could be forced to join the Taliban or that his nieces could have to marry the group's fighters.
"They don’t know what it’s like to grow up with the Taliban in control, and they’ve been free the whole time they’ve been alive," Kathryn said. "Since the U.S. has been there, they’ve had all these freedoms and now it’s going to be taken away very quickly. We hope and pray that they don’t have to go through that."
The Hashemis are working with an immigration lawyer and state legislators to bring 22 family members -- 11 adults and 11 children -- to the United States. Meanwhile, the couple is also running their boutique -- Just Be -- full-time.
"I think what's hard is that we feel like we're just another paper on a desk," Kathryn said.
They're still waiting for the visas to be approved with the U.S. deadline for withdrawal getting too close for comfort. The future is uncertain once troops leave.
"We know we have a journey, but if we can do anything, we'll do it," Kathryn said.
WFMY News 2's Grace Holland reached out to Senator Thom Tillis and Representative Kathy Manning. The Senator's office said they're in contact with the Hashemis.
"We have been working to get hundreds of Americans and Afghan allies out of Afghanistan and will continue to work to get as many out as possible," Spokesperson Adam Webb said in a statement. "Senator Tillis urges all North Carolinians to contact his office immediately if they are working to get anyone out of Afghanistan.”
Representative Manning's office said they have seven open cases of folks trying to get loved ones out of Afghanistan.
"Our team is diligently working with the State Department and international organizations to help Afghans seeking evacuation," Deputy Chief of Staff Hailey Barringer said in a statement. "We encourage constituents with questions regarding evacuation from Afghanistan to contact our office for assistance."