U.S. Rep. Peter Meijer (R-MI) joined 20 of his colleagues on the bipartisan Honoring Our Promises Working Group in urging President Joe Biden to ensure that in the wake of the United State’s withdrawal from Afghanistan that the Afghans who served to help the U.S. are not killed by terrorist groups like the Taliban, ISIS, and Al Qaeda.
“In the past month, we have been closely following your developing withdrawal plans,” the members wrote in a June 4 letter sent to the president. “We appreciate the complexity of ending the war in Afghanistan, but we are increasingly concerned that you have not yet directed the Department of Defense be mobilized as part of a concrete and workable whole of government plan to protect our Afghan partners.”
Rep. Meijer and his colleagues noted that at the request of Biden’s administration, members of their working group introduced legislation to streamline and accelerate the process by raising the visa cap for the Afghan Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) program and waiving the medical exam requirement.
“But even with those legislative fixes, the SIV application backlog is likely to keep growing and our Afghan partners are certain to face an even greater threat,” wrote the lawmakers. “The current SIV process will not work. It takes an average of 800+ days, and we plan to withdraw in less than 100 days.”
As the working group continues to investigate various process efficiencies and options for expanding the number of SIVs available, Rep. Meijer and the lawmakers pointed out that after examining the situation through multiple hearings, briefings, research, and outreach, the group has concluded that America must evacuate its Afghan friends and allies immediately, according to their letter.
“No U.S. entity — to include the Department of Defense, Department of State, USAID, et al — has the ability or authority to protect them in Afghanistan after our withdrawal,” the lawmakers wrote. “It would be a moral failure to transfer the responsibility to protect our Afghan partners onto the shoulders of the Afghan Government. The time is now to honor our promise and evacuate Afghan SIV applicants.”
Among the members who joined Rep. Meijer in signing the letter were U.S. Reps. Don Bacon (R-NE), Adam Kinzinger (R-IL), Brad Wenstrup (R-OH), and Seth Moulton (D-MA).