Call to Action: Protect our Afghan Allies
After two decades of presence, President Biden’s recent announcement of the withdrawal of all troops from Afghanistan captured the world. Gaining rising attention in the United States, particularly among veterans and people of faith, is concerns about the fate of American-affiliated Afghans who assisted the U.S. mission.
Since 2002, the U.S. Government has employed Afghan allies to serve alongside U.S. troops, diplomats, and other government employees. Regrettably, these allies and their families soon became the targets of anti-American violence. They continue to be threatened, abducted, and targeted for their allegiance to the U.S. and NATO mission.
The Afghan Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) program provides a path to safety for Afghans who worked with U.S. forces, diplomats, and other government personnel, and who, as a result of that affiliation, suffer direct threats to their safety.
As the U.S. armed forces anticipates its final withdrawal in September, we know that we cannot simply abandon them. To that end, LIRS has joined several veterans’ groups, resettlement partners, and members of Congress in calling upon the Biden administration to urgently evacuate American-affiliated Afghans and their families. We recently delivered a letter to top White House officials calling for emergency evacuation, and we will continue to put pressure on President Biden until all of our allies are safe. We are now asking people of conscience to join us.
Send a message to President Biden today! Urge the administration to provide urgent humanitarian protections, including evacuation for those who have put their lives on the line for our country.
|