U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) helped lead a bipartisan group of more than 50 senators who called on President Joe Biden to swiftly evacuate Afghan Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) applicants and their families from Afghanistan, which has been retaken by the Taliban.
“As you know, this critical program provides safety for the brave Afghans who served alongside United States troops in support of the U.S. missions in Afghanistan,” wrote Sen. Ernst and her colleagues, who included U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), in an Aug. 19 letter sent to President Biden. “As the situation in Afghanistan deteriorates, these individuals face increased danger at the hands of the Taliban that has sworn retribution.”
The lawmakers urged continued coordination between the U.S. State Department and the U.S. Department of 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,” according to their letter.
Additionally, the lawmakers urged Biden to immediately implement all aspects of the bipartisan Afghan Allies Protection Act of 2021, S. 2032, which was led by Sens. Ernst and Shaheen in the U.S. Senate. The White House on July 30 signed into law key provisions from the bill as part of the supplemental security spending measure.
For instance, according to the lawmakers’ letter, Biden should update internal and external guidance on the new law to reflect the change in the employment requirement for eligibility from two years of service to one; issue the SIVs to all applicants and their qualified family members who have passed all steps of the visa process and only await a medical exam; and prioritize applications based on the date of the initial application, among other aspects of the new law.
“We were pleased that you immediately signed [our]…legislation to make extensive improvements to the SIV program into law three weeks ago, and now ask that you move just as quickly to ensure it is properly and fully implemented ensuring applicants and their families can get out of harm’s way,” wrote Sen. Ernst and her colleagues. “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.”