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Dozens of California students and parents are stranded in Afghanistan after taking summer trip to visit extended families in the war torn country - then becoming TRAPPED after the Taliban takeover

An estimated 24 students enrolled in the California Cajon Valley Union School District and 16 parents are stranded in Afghanistan after taking a trip to visit extended family in the warzone.  

The families, from the El Cajon area near San Diego, are among thousands of Americans still trapped in Afghanistan following a rapid Taliban takeover of the country on the heels of the US pulling out after a 20-year occupation.  

'Several of our families over summer break independently decided to go home to Afghanistan and see their extended family. A lot of the families, their nuclear families are here, but all their grandparents and everybody are still in Afghanistan,' said Mike Serban, director of the school board's  Family and Children Engagement program, which assists the district's many refugee families, according to CBS8.

'They're still in Afghanistan trying to find their way to the airport or on an airplane', he said. 

Fairdoon Hashemi and Mohammad Sarfarez, bilingual community liaisons for the FACE program, first became aware of the problem when reached August 16 by families stuck there. 

They contacted the liaisons to tell them they would not be back in time for the first day of school but to hold spots for their students, Howard Shen, the school district's media contact, told DailyMail.com. 

Nearly 24 students enrolled in the Cajon Valley Union School District-outside San Diego- and 16 parents have been stranded in Afghanistan after a summer trip to visit extended family. Pictured above: People queue up to board a military aircraft of Germany and leave Kabul at Kabul airport, Afghanistan, Aug. 24

Nearly 24 students enrolled in the Cajon Valley Union School District-outside San Diego- and 16 parents have been stranded in Afghanistan after a summer trip to visit extended family. Pictured above: People queue up to board a military aircraft of Germany and leave Kabul at Kabul airport, Afghanistan, Aug. 24

Cajon Valley School Board President Tamara Otero said the families had tickets to fly out of Afghanistan, 'but unfortunately they were not able to get to the airport.' 

'The biggest concern is that the Taliban closed the airport,' Otero said. 'We are so worried about our students that are stuck there. We'll do the best we can to get them out.' 

Serban is gathering a list of all Cajon Valley students known to be in Afghanistan. They attend different locations among the 28 schools in the eastern San Diego County district. 

Further details about the families' identities and their trips have not been released. It is unclear where they are in the country and whether they are together. 

But El Cajon resident, Navy veteran, and former intelligence analyst, Amanda Matti is now working with Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton, El Cajon Rep. Sara Jacobs, and a group of volunteers to help an El Cajon family of six get into the airport.

Matti, who  lives in El Cajon, said last weekend she helped a former El Cajon family of five escape Afghanistan. That family was flown to Washington DC and will head to their current home in Portland, Oregon.  

Speaking with DailyMail.com Matti declined to give further information about the  family they are currently helping until they are safely inside. 'They are literally stuck at the West gate right now.' 

She was first connected to the family a few years ago when her non-profit volunteer group helped them resettle in El Cajon. 

Serban insisted that the district is working with officials to connect them with the families 'so that the federal government knows who's there and how they can support them to get them back here to the United States.'  

According to Cajon Valley Superintendent David Miyashiro, the families are traveling on special visas for US military service and are considered allies by the Department of Defense. 

Miyashiro and several Cajon Valley staff members met with Rep. Darrel Issa, who represents the area and his staff regarding the situation, according to the Los Angeles Times. 

The families traveled to the country independently over the summer break to visit extended family but were unable to make it to the busy airport to board their flights that were booked to take off sometime before Aug. 17. Pictured: People take a military aircraft of Germany to leave Kabul, Afghanistan, Aug. 24

The families traveled to the country independently over the summer break to visit extended family but were unable to make it to the busy airport to board their flights that were booked to take off sometime before Aug. 17. Pictured: People take a military aircraft of Germany to leave Kabul, Afghanistan, Aug. 24

Families then began contacting the California Cajon Valley Union School District after their students missed the first day of school. Pictured: Evacuees board a Boeing C-17 Globemaster III during an evacuation at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan, Aug. 23

Families then began contacting the California Cajon Valley Union School District after their students missed the first day of school. Pictured: Evacuees board a Boeing C-17 Globemaster III during an evacuation at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan, Aug. 23

Issa shared an LA Times story about the students on social media commenting: 'I’m working diligently to determine the best ways to help those trapped return home safely. I won’t stop until we have answers and action.'

Jonathan Wilcox, Issa's communications director wrote in an email to the LA Times: 'Congressman Issa and his staff are working diligently to determine the facts on the ground, any bureaucratic barriers that can be removed, and the best ways to help those stranded leave Afghanistan and return home safely. We won't stop until we have answers and action.'  

School district officials have been working with the federal government to locate and extract the families from the highly dangerous country as the US aims to evacuate all Americans by the end of the month. Pictured: Evacuees wait to board a Boeing C-17 Globemaster III during an evacuation at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan, Aug. 23

School district officials have been working with the federal government to locate and extract the families from the highly dangerous country as the US aims to evacuate all Americans by the end of the month. Pictured: Evacuees wait to board a Boeing C-17 Globemaster III during an evacuation at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan, Aug. 23

US military officials reported that they have been forced to find alternative routes to Kabul's international airport over the weekend. Pictured: Crowds of people wait outside the airport in Kabul, Afghanistan Aug. 25

US military officials reported that they have been forced to find alternative routes to Kabul's international airport over the weekend. Pictured: Crowds of people wait outside the airport in Kabul, Afghanistan Aug. 25

Of the 14 bilingual community liaisons listed on the FACE program's website, 11 speak Arabic or Farsi, pointing to the areas Afghan population. 

El Cajon Mayor Bill Wells told DailyMail.com that he is 'sick over what’s happening in Afghanistan. This is a shameful chapter for our country.'

He confirmed that Issa’s office has taken charge of the situation. 'Being the mayor of a city, I have limited ability to help with foreign affairs but I will do anything that I can.' 

During Wednesday's press conference Jen Psaki, the White House press secretary, was asked about the El Cajon families but referred the question to the State Department. 

President Biden announced Tuesday that he plans to stick to his original deadline to have all Americans evacuated from Afghanistan by the end of the month. 

Over the weekend, US military officials reported they have been forced to find new routes to Kabul's international airport as the ISIS-K terror group posed a threat to citizens and Afghan allies. The Afghan capital's airport remains the only way in or out of the country.  

San Diego County has been hub for refugees since the Vietnam War providing yet another comparison of the Taliban's take over of Afghanistan to the fall of Saigon. 

Records show that following the fall of the Vietnam's largest city over 50,000 refugees flocked to San Diego County within six months. Social services were set up in the area to process and aid the influx of people. 

This paved a path for other waves of displaced people to come to the area making it a hub for refugees. 

From 2016 to 2020 San Diego County saw thousands of Afghan refugees escape to the area. The US Refugee Admissions Program prioritizes relocating people to places where they have established families or communities pushing the current relocation of Afghan refugees to San Diego County.  

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