1. United States
2. Fla.
3. Letter

I am a United States Air Force veteran who served in Kabul, Afghanistan, in 2015. I am writing because I am ashamed and furious that our government continues to abandon the Afghan allies who risked their lives supporting our mission. During my deployment, I worked alongside an Afghan man named Sediq. He dedicated much of his life to supporting American interests, trusting our promises and accepting the dangers that came with helping American forces. Today, Sediq, his wife, and their children remain stranded in Doha, Qatar. They entered the U.S. refugee system through the Priority 1 (P-1) program and underwent security screening during the Biden administration. Yet the Trump administration’s suspension of refugee admissions has left their future in limbo. Recently, friends and I raised money simply to renew their passports. After twenty years of war, trillions of dollars spent, and countless promises to our Afghan partners, private citizens are raising money to keep one family from losing the documents necessary to pursue safety. This is unconscionable. I live with PTSD related to my military service in Afghanistan. Like many veterans, I have struggled to reconcile what we sacrificed with how that war ended. Watching Sediq and his children suffer because of their association with us has compounded that burden. We asked Afghans like Sediq to trust us. We depended on their courage, loyalty, and willingness to risk their families’ safety. Now, when it is our turn to demonstrate loyalty, we have turned our backs. You cannot thank me for my service while abandoning the people who made that service possible. President Trump’s Executive Order 14163 suspended refugee admissions but explicitly permits national-interest exceptions. If protecting Afghan allies who supported American military operations is not in our national interest, what is? I am demanding that Congress act: pressure the administration to use its existing authority to admit eligible Afghan allies, enact legislation restoring a pathway for vetted P-1 and P-2 applicants, and exercise meaningful oversight of the policies keeping these families stranded. I am also requesting direct congressional intervention in Sediq’s case to determine what remains necessary for his family to reach safety. I do not want another form letter thanking me for my service. I want to know what you intend to do. The war in Afghanistan spanned Republican and Democratic administrations. Our Afghan allies did not ask our political affiliation before helping us. They trusted America. Sediq has spent much of his life either serving American interests or suffering the consequences. His children are paying that price alongside him. I refuse to accept that this is the best my country can do. This is about more than immigration. It is about whether America’s promises mean anything, and whether Congress has the courage to honor them.