Peters Demands Answers for Afghan Allies and Military Families Stranded Abroad
Washington, DC – Today, U.S. Representatives Scott Peters (D-CA) led 19 Members of the House and Senate on a letter to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin urging the Administration to reunite the families of U.S. service members with their loved ones stranded overseas, and to reconnect Afghans with immediate family already lawfully in the United States. This comes days after two Afghan nationals arrived safely in the United States on September 22nd through the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program under an exception to current policy.
“This decision shows that the process to exempt certain migrants from both entry restrictions on foreign nationals as well as refugee resettlement works when leaders choose to use it,” the Members wrote. They highlighted that nearly 3,000 immediate family members of U.S. service members and veterans, including spouses, children, and parents of Americans who have worn this country's uniform, remain stranded overseas. Roughly 150 of them are at Camp As Sayliyah in Qatar, alongside more than 1,000 Afghan allies and family members who were vetted by the U.S. government and flown there on U.S. government aircraft.
"No service member should have to choose between serving this country and being reunited with their family," the Members wrote.
The Members called on the Departments to prioritize immediate family members of U.S. service members and veterans for exemption determinations and refugee processing, beginning with those at Camp As Sayliyah. The Members also urged the Administration to prioritize family reunification cases, including Afghans whose spouses, parents, or children are lawfully in the United States, and to name them as refugees so these families no longer depend on one-off exceptions.
"This week, your Departments showed what is possible,” the Members wrote. “The families of the men and women who serve this nation, and the Afghans who stood beside them, deserve the same decision.”
The letter was also signed by Reps André Carson (IN-07), Chris Deluzio (PA-17), J. Correa (CA-46), Sylvia Garcia (TX-29), Julie Johnson (TX-32), Mike Levin (CA-49), Stephen Lynch (MA-08), Betty McCollum (MN-04), Gwen Moore (WI-04), Seth Moulton (MA-06), Eleanor Norton (DC-AL), Andrea Salinas (OR-06), Shri Thanedar (MI-13), Norma Torres (CA-35), and Juan Vargas (CA-52), as well as by Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Christopher Coons (D-DE), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), and Peter Welch (D-VT).
Read the full letter here.
Background:
San Diego has served as a primary hub for incoming Afghan refugees, with nearly 5,000 resettling in the region. Rep. Peters has been a staunch advocate for the safe relocation, protection, and legal adjustment of Afghan wartime allies who served alongside U.S. forces. He is a cosponsor of the Enduring Welcome Act to codify and permanently authorize the Office of the Coordinator for Afghan Relocation Efforts (CARE) within the State Department. He also previously led the Afghan Adjustment Act, which aids in resettling Afghans and their families who supported U.S. and international forces in Afghanistan.
In February, Rep. Peters attended a shadow hearing where he highlighted the consequences of the Trump administration's decisions to freeze the U.S. refugee admissions program, eliminate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Afghans. In July, led a congressional delegation in a virtual town hall with Afghan allies stranded at the Camp As Sayliyah facility in Doha.
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