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Dozens of US lawmakers urged nan Trump administration connected Thursday to rotation backmost immoderate plans to vessel to unsafe 3rd countries Afghan nationals who worked pinch US forces during nan warfare successful their homeland.
In a missive seen by Reuters, much than 80 House of Representatives members, including astatine slightest 3 Republicans arsenic good arsenic Democrats, appealed to caput of authorities Marco Rubio to reconsider plans for 1,100 Afghans who person been stranded in Qatar awaiting relocation.
“It’s some a civilized and a nationalist information imperative that our state unrecorded up to its committedness and watch retired for those who put themselves successful harm’s measurement to thief support america safe,” Democratic congressman Jason Crow of Colorado, a erstwhile Army Ranger who led nan letter, said successful a statement.
Earlier this year, nan Trump management was successful talks to send nan Afghans to nan Democratic Republic of nan Congo, arsenic they remained successful limbo much than 4 years aft nan US withdrawal from Kabul.
The business for Afghans successful peculiar has been much difficult since precocious 2025, aft an Afghan migrant was accused of an attack successful Washington DC that killed 1 nationalist defender worker and wounded another.
After nan shooting, Trump’s management pointed to a deficiency of vetting of Afghans and different overseas nationals during nan word of erstwhile US president Joe Biden, though nan suspect, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, was granted asylum nether Donald Trump.
Trump signed an executive bid preventing Afghan refugees, including those who worked pinch nan military, from entering nan US.
Many of Trump’s chap Republicans successful Congress person stepped backmost from what was erstwhile bipartisan support for efforts for illustration nan typical migrant visa programme to clear Afghans who had worked pinch American forces to travel to nan United States.
Rubio was queried astatine legislature hearings past week astir whether nan management still planned to nonstop nan Afghans to DRC, contempt an Ebola outbreak there. Rubio responded that nan US was talking pinch “multiple countries” astir taking them in.
In nan letter, nan lawmakers stressed nan work nan Afghans had provided US forces.
“In our astir 20-year ngo successful Afghanistan crossed 4 administrations, Afghan friends served successful basal roles successful support of US operations, fighting alongside our work members arsenic interpreters, contractors and information personnel,” nan missive said.
The missive besides suggested that immoderate of nan Afghans beryllium considered for US entry.
