THIS FORM IS FOR FAITH ORGANIZATIONS/DENOMINATIONS. IF YOU ARE SIGNING ON AS A FAITH LEADER, PLEASE USE THIS FORM: https://forms.gle/dtoiqgBjjApHcnP47

DEADLINE for signature is COB Wednesday, May 26th. Please contact Meredith Owen, mowen@cwsglobal.org, with any questions.

DATE

Joseph R. Biden Jr.
President of the United States
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500

Dear Mr. President,

As XX faith leaders and XX faith-based organizations across traditions, we write to urge the Biden administration to immediately implement plans to evacuate vulnerable U.S-affiliated Afghans out of Afghanistan in conjunction with the ongoing  withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan, and to authorize as many Special Immigrant Visas (SIV) as are necessary. The Afghan SIV program was created to provide a pathway to protection to those who face danger because of their service to the U.S. mission in Afghanistan. It is our moral imperative to keep our promise to those we pledged to protect.

As people of faith, our concern stems from shared values rooted in our sacred texts that remind us to love our neighbor and welcome the sojourner among us. As Leviticus 19:34 (CE) reminds us: “Any immigrant who lives with you must be treated as if they were one of your citizens. You must love them as yourself, because you were immigrants in the land of Egypt.”

The United States has a moral duty to protect those who have protected us. The way we leave Afghanistan will be an enduring mark on our nation’s history. As we draw an end to America’s longest war, we must remember that our departure from Afghanistan will put our allies there, who have saved so many American lives, at grave risk. They include local translators, engineers, security guards, embassy clerks, logisticians, cultural advisors, and soldiers. As we prepare to withdraw, we cannot abandon them, especially as that service to us puts them in danger; we must bring them to safety in the United States.

Afghans whose lives are in danger because of their service with American armed forces, work with U.S.-based NGOs or media, or on projects funded by USAID, must be evacuated to American territory, where their visas can be safely vetted and processed. This evacuation could follow the model the U.S. adopted in previous evacuations, whereby vulnerable Afghans and their families could be airlifted from Afghanistan to U.S. territory, where U.S. government officials could process their visa applications or other humanitarian protection before flying applicants to their final destination for resettlement in the U.S.

Honoring our commitments in Afghanistan will rightly be seen as part of a history of American actions to protect individuals facing violence and persecution as a result of assisting the United States. The U.S. has successfully undertaken such efforts before. In 1975, the Ford administration evacuated 130,000 Vietnamese to Guam where these refugees went through initial screenings before they were flown to reception centers in the continental U.S. In 1996, the Clinton administration airlifted thousands of Iraqis who had assisted American efforts in Northern Iraq to Guam, where they completed security screening and immigration processing. In 1999, after Serbian forces attacked Pristina in Kosovo, the Clinton administration airlifted 20,000 Kosovar Albanians to Fort Dix, NJ, where they were processed and received refugee status.

The SIV program has brought thousands of Iraqis and Afghans to safety in the U.S. But the program has had dangerous delays for applicants and unnecessary bureaucratic complications, brought about by challenges with in-country processing. There is very limited refugee processing in the region - made more difficult by the deteriorating security situation. Given the short window of time available to us before U.S. troops withdraw from Afghanistan, the completion of the SIV and humanitarian processing should be incorporated into the framework of an evacuation. Our allies must be brought to safety, and rapidly processed for protection while being treated as guests and not detainees within the United States.

We also urge Congress to authorize as many additional visas as may be necessary to cover all who qualify, and extend the program until U.S. forces have left Afghanistan and the program is no longer needed. There is currently a deficit of at least 11,000 visas needed, but it may be more. As we demand that the U.S. organize an immediate evacuation of U.S.-affiliated Afghans in need of protection, we recognize that this includes around 17,000 Afghans who have a pending application for an SIV as well as their family members, who are already at risk because of the support they have provided to our troops and government, and face a heightened risk as the U.S. withdraws from Afghanistan.

This is urgent. Given the September 11 deadline, there is no moment to lose to protect those who helped us as we carried out our mission in Afghanistan. At this moment, the future of a generation of Afghans who believed and worked with us on our mission is at risk. As the U.S. prepares to depart Afghanistan, we must commit to providing refuge to those Afghans who committed themselves to our efforts.

Thank you for your attention to this important matter.

Sincerely,