Hundreds of veterans and former and current U.S. officials have written a letter to Donald Trump, urging the incoming president to continue the resettlement and relocation program for Afghan partners who worked with Washington.
The letter, which will be sent to Trump and members of Congress, calls for the continued issuance of special immigrant visas to Afghans who assisted the U.S. during its 20-year presence in Afghanistan and whose lives are now at risk.
Reuters, which obtained a copy of the letter, reported that it states, “Many of us have worked closely with Afghan translators, soldiers, and their families who risked everything to protect and guide us.”
The letter further reads, “Abandoning them now would be a betrayal of the values we fought to defend and the trust built over years of shared struggle and sacrifice.”
The letter was organized by “AfghanEvac,” a coalition of organizations assisting the U.S. government with Afghan relocation and resettlement efforts.
Veterans and U.S. officials in the letter have asked Trump to fund the relocation programs for at-risk Afghans.
They also urged Congress to approve 50,000 additional special immigrant visas for Afghan nationals.
The current cap on special immigrant visas is set at 50,500, which is expected to be exhausted by late summer or fall this year.
Shawn Vandiver, president of AfghanEvac, stated that the letter reflects concerns that Trump might limit or even halt the special immigration and resettlement programs for Afghans as part of his immigration policies.
To date, 380 veterans and former and current U.S. officials have signed the letter.
The letter’s signatories are concerned that Trump and Stephen Miller, his deputy and architect of his immigration policies, may create bureaucratic obstacles that could slow down the special immigrant visa process.
The U.S. State Department has announced that since the Taliban took power, over 183,000 at-risk Afghans and their families have been resettled in the United States.
However, thousands of Afghans are still waiting for their visas, either within Afghanistan or in third countries.
The letter represents a collective call to honor the commitments made to Afghan partners who risked their lives in support of U.S. efforts. It also highlights the urgency of continuing the relocation program to ensure that these individuals are not left behind.
The international community must support these efforts to uphold promises made to Afghan allies and prevent them from facing further danger due to their assistance to U.S. forces.
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