From Church World Service (http://www.churchworldservice.org):
Amidst the worst refugee crisis in history with 25 million refugees globally, the administration has sought to annihilate the U.S. resettlement program and protections for individuals fleeing violence and persecution. The United States has an important Afghan Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) program to welcome Afghan refugees who are persecuted for assisting the U.S. mission overseas. Tens of thousands of Afghans worked as interpreters and in other capacities in support of the United States. Many of them have been targeted – and in some instances killed – by the Taliban and other militias due to their U.S. affiliation. As the United States begins its rapid and complete withdrawal from the region, these Afghan partners face even greater risk of being targeted.
It is critical that Members of Congress and the administration hear that their constituents welcome refugees, including persecuted Afghans. Here are the top two ways to take action:
Sign the petition at https://www.change.org/p/u-s-house-of-representatives-tell-congress-to-bring-our-afghan-allies-to-safety asking the State Department and Congress to immediately speed up processing of applicants in the Special Immigrant Visa program who have been delayed, often for years.
Go to https://greateras1.org/take-action-tell-congress-to-welcome-afghan-refugees-who-assisted-u-s-missions/ to tell your Member of Congress to welcome Afghan refugees and hold the administration accountable for enforcing the required processing timeline.
Now is a critical time to take action to support the Afghan refugees we promised to protect. Please spread the word!
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