Veterans groups ask Trump to reconsider immigration executive order, cite impacts on Afghan partners

Multiple veterans groups sent a missive to President Donald Trump connected Thursday, urging him to reconsider a caller enforcement bid regarding migration and exile programs, citing concerns astir the information of Afghan interpreters and their families who helped the U.S. military.

The executive order, the Realigning the United States Refugee Program, volition spell into effect connected Monday and suspend the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP).

Trump's bid instantly pauses each processing and movements for USRAP refugees, who are referred owed to threats from their relation with the U.S. - specified arsenic household members of work members, and Afghan spouse forces.

Special Immigrant Visas (SIVs), radical who straight worked for oregon supported the U.S. authorities - which includes interpreters and contractors, bash not look to beryllium straight impacted. 

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 President Donald Trump signs a bid of enforcement orders astatine the White House connected January 20, 2025, successful Washington, DC. (Jabin Botsford /The Washington Post via Getty Images)

They could, however, beryllium indirectly affected by implementation decisions oregon further orders, according to #AfghanEvac, a non-profit that helps facilitate relocation and resettlement of Afghan U.S. allies. 

The veterans groups wanted to item "unintended consequences" of the order, claiming it could adversely impact the intelligence wellness of countless veterans.

The letter, obtained by Fox News, discussed the bonds galore service members and veterans formed with Afghan partners who supported the planetary warfare connected terror, often astatine large idiosyncratic hazard to themselves and their families.

"The existent suspension of definite pathways for these allies whitethorn unintentionally penalize individuals who could beryllium eligible for Special Immigrant Visas (SIVs) but bash not presently clasp them — not due to the fact that they bash not conscionable the qualifications, but due to the fact that of the chaotic and disorganized quality of the withdrawal from Afghanistan nether the erstwhile administration," the missive read. 

Taliban holds a subject parade with instrumentality captured from U.S. service successful Kandahar, Afghanistan connected November 8, 2021.  (Murteza Khaliqi/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

The groups said they "fully support" Trump's extremity of prioritizing American security, but judge determination is simply a wide accidental to code the contented without harm to Afghan partners.

The enforcement bid argues that the introduction of further refugees would beryllium "detrimental to the interests of the United States," but notes the Secretary of State and the Secretary of Homeland Security tin jointly marque exceptions and admit refugees connected a case-by-case ground erstwhile successful the nationalist interest, and determination is nary menace to America’s information oregon welfare.

Noting concerns astir Afghan partners being deported "erroneously," the groups said the partners' contiguous household members, who look superior threats from the Taliban whitethorn suffer their hopes of harmless passage.

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They asked the president to see SIV-eligible allies and their families, to forestall them from being "inadvertently formed speech owed to lapses that occurred nether the botched withdrawal," according to the letter. 

"This attack would support those who person risked their lives for our state portion reinforcing your administration’s wide committedness to nationalist security," they wrote.

USRAP has nary interaction connected amerciable immigration, according to #AfghanEvac. Refugees indispensable beryllium vetted earlier entering the U.S., and crossing the borderline without authorization voids their eligibility.

Chad Robichaux, a U.S. Marine Corps unit recon seasoned and Department of Defense contractor, told Fox News helium spent years of his beingness protecting American lives domestically and internationally, but the sacrifice was not made solely by U.S. work members.

Taliban fighters patrol connected the roadworthy during a solemnisation marking the 2nd day of the withdrawal of U.S.-led troops from Afghanistan, successful Kandahar, southbound of Kabul, Afghanistan, connected Tuesday, Aug. 15. (AP/Abdul Khaliq)

"Afghan interpreters risked their lives for 2 decades alongside america to decision the evils of the Taliban," Robichaux said. "When Afghanistan fell, I personally went to rescue my interpreter Aziz from the clutches of that precise evil, delivering him to American soil. President Trump is honorably taking beardown steps to support this hallowed ungraded safe. But successful doing so, [it] places these aforesaid Afghans successful jeopardy. These Afghan Allies person demonstrated much patriotic courageousness than immoderate of our ain citizens, and I americium asking for their owed extortion successful the midst of these sweeping information measures."

The suspension efficaciously leaves thousands of Afghan allies stranded successful limbo, according to #AfghanEvac. The enactment claims astatine slightest 10 to 15,000 individuals are afloat vetted and awaiting flights successful Afghanistan, Pakistan and different countries.

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Groups that signed the missive included: Save Our Allies; Sheepdog Response; The Verardo Group; The Independence Fund; Diesel Jack Media; Special Operations Association of America; and Mighty Oaks Foundation.

Tim Kennedy - a Green Beret, erstwhile UFC fighter, laminitis of Sheepdog Response, and president of Save Our Allies - told Fox News it is the nation's work to support its allies.

"I’ve served with the astir patriotic heroes our federation has to offer. I’ve watched them brilliantly and valiantly sacrifice beingness and limb to support the United States," Kennedy said. "Among those patriots are the Afghan men who risked menace and brutality from the Taliban to support the state and American ideals we clasp dear."

Tim Kennedy during weigh-ins for UFC 206 astatine Air Canada Centre.  (Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports)

There are inactive 150,000 to 250,000 Afghans seeking settlement, according to #AfghanEvac. An estimated 40,000 to 60,000 are refugees nether USRAP.

"The Biden medication is liable for our blood-soaked exit from Afghanistan," Kennedy said. "The Allies we served beside didn’t person the committedness we offered them. I applaud the indispensable and exemplary efforts President Trump is making to unafraid our state from overseas threats, but it is our work to support and sphere the sanctity of our committedness to those Afghan allies. In galore cases, we beryllium them our lives, and we indispensable fto this beryllium their home."

Since the extremity of the warfare successful 2021, immoderate 180,000 Afghans person resettled successful the U.S., Fox News Digital reported.

Many of those who are inactive waiting for exile support are hiding retired in Pakistan, fearful of deportation backmost to Afghanistan.

President Joe Biden speaks successful the Rose Garden astatine the White House, Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2024, successful Washington.  (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

Daniel Elkins, CEO of Special Operations Association of America, said helium is "certain determination would beryllium much Americans successful Arlington cemetery if it weren’t for Afghans who risked their lives to assistance us, and present is the clip for america to assistance them."

Rep. Michael McCaul, president emeritus of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, told Fox News helium looks guardant to continuing to enactment with Save Our Allies arsenic they advocator for each Afghan allies erstwhile President Joe Biden "abandoned."

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"Unlike President Biden who consistently dismissed pleas from veterans and work members to assistance their Afghan allies, President Trump cares astir America's veterans and work members and volition perceive to them," McCaul said.

The White House did not instantly respond to Fox News Digital's petition for remark Thursday night.

Fox News Digital's Morgan Phillips contributed to this story.