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An all-girl robotics team from Afghanistan whose members had been denied visas to travel to the U.S. for a competition will be able to come after President Trump intervened on their behalf, Politico reported.
News of the visa denials -- which the Department of State did not give reasons for -- provoked widespread criticism earlier this month. After Trump asked National Security Council officials to see if they could address the situation, the team of six teenagers will now be able to stay in the U.S. for 10 days under what's known as parole. Parole is a discretionary system through which immigration authorities can permit a foreign national to enter the U.S. for a temporary period outside the normal visa system.
“The State Department worked incredibly well with the Department of Homeland Security to ensure that this case was reviewed and handled appropriately,” Dina Powell, Trump's deputy national security adviser for strategy, said in a statement quoted by Politico. “We could not be prouder of this delegation of young women who are also scientists -- they represent the best of the Afghan people and embody the promise that their aspirations can be fulfilled. They are future leaders of Afghanistan and strong ambassadors for their country.”
