More than 50 U.S. senators are calling on President Joe Biden to expedite the evacuation of thousands of people who aided the U.S. war effort in Afghanistan.
In a letter, the group of senators led by Sens. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), said, “We write to urge the immediate and full implementation of recently-passed legislation amending the process and eligibility for the Afghan Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) program and for the urgent evacuation of SIV applicants whose service to the U.S. mission has put their lives in jeopardy.”
“As the situation in Afghanistan deteriorates, these individuals face increased danger at the hands of the Taliban that has sworn retribution. For this reason, Congress provided additional authorities to improve and expedite the application process while maintaining the program’s security and integrity. We implore your Administration to expeditiously implement these changes and immediately evacuate our Afghan allies to safety,” the letter continued.
“The United States led coalition forces in Afghanistan for nearly twenty years following the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States. Our mission safeguarded the American homeland from terrorist attacks, eliminated Osama bin Laden, and delivered freedom and education to a generation of Afghan women and children. At every step of the way, our mission was supported by Afghans who fought alongside us for a better future for their country.”
The senators noted that Afghans who aided the war effort “risked their safety and the well-being of their families to work with the United States.”
“With the departure of U.S. forces and Taliban rule in place, the safety and security of our Afghan allies who put their lives on the line to help our service members and diplomats must be a top priority,” the lawmakers added.
They argued that the Taliban’s “rapid ascendancy across Afghanistan and takeover of Kabul should not cause us to break our promise to the Afghans who helped us operate over the past twenty years and are counting on us for assistance.”
Finally, the senators said, “We urge continued coordination between the Departments of State and Defense to secure and hold Hamid Karzai International Airport, including to allow for the continuation of military flights and the resumption of commercial and charter flights. We also urge your Administration to assist with the passage of individuals to the airport to safety – both those within Kabul and those outside of the capital – as well as to consider cases where Afghans fleeing quickly may not have been able to collect or gather appropriate documents.”
The letter comes after the Taliban took over Kabul, Afghanistan, prompting thousands of Afghans to surge to the Kabul airport in an attempt to flee the country.
There are thousands of Afghans who helped the U.S. waiting to be evacuated from the country.
