Connolly Joins Letter to Administration Urging Timely Guidance on Plans to Evacuate Remaining Americans and at-Risk Individuals from Afghanistan
Washington,
September 7, 2021
Tags:
Foreign Policy
Today, Representative Gerry Connolly (D-VA) joined Representatives Ami Bera, M.D. (D-CA), Zoe Lofgen (D-CA), Jerry Nadler (D-NY), and 11 Members of Congress in sending a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas urging them to provide timely guidance on how the Administration will evacuate remaining Americans, lawful permanent residents, and vulnerable people out of Afghanistan. In the letter, the Members wrote: “We commend the American servicemembers and diplomats who worked tirelessly to evacuate U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents (LPR), and vulnerable people out of Afghanistan over the past several weeks. However, hundreds of at-risk individuals remain in the country and we are deeply concerned for their safety. Our staff have been working around the clock responding to urgent pleas from constituents whose families and colleagues are seeking to flee Afghanistan, and they urgently require timely, post-withdrawal guidance to best assist those in need. While we appreciate the information that we have received thus far from the Department of State (State), Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and Department of Defense, we require timely and regular updates on the Administration’s plans for continuing to assist these individuals through evacuation assistance, repatriation flights, and other means of relocating to safe countries, including the United States.” Click here or see below for the full letter. September 7, 2021 Dear Secretary Blinken and Secretary Mayorkas, We commend the American servicemembers and diplomats who worked tirelessly to evacuate U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents (LPR), and vulnerable people out of Afghanistan over the past several weeks. However, hundreds of at-risk individuals remain in the country and we are deeply concerned for their safety. Our staff have been working around the clock responding to urgent pleas from constituents whose families and colleagues are seeking to flee Afghanistan, and they urgently require timely, post-withdrawal guidance to best assist those in need. While we appreciate the information that we have received thus far from the Department of State (State), Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and Department of Defense, we require timely and regular updates on the Administration’s plans for continuing to assist these individuals through evacuation assistance, repatriation flights, and other means of relocating to safe countries, including the United States. As President Biden noted on August 31, “for those remaining Americans, there is no deadline. We remain committed to get them out if they want to come out.” Our efforts to protect Americans and our partners must continue. Given the urgent need to provide up-to-date information to our constituents, we request a timely response to the following questions: Guidance for those Seeking to Leave Afghanistan
Third Country Processing
U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP)
We will continue to assist your efforts to support Americans and our Afghan allies abroad and urge your agencies to closely coordinate with our offices so that we can communicate timely and accurate information to our constituents. In addition, we urge you to inform us of any additional resources or legislative action necessary to evacuate U.S. citizens, Afghan allies, and other vulnerable individuals who wish to leave Afghanistan quickly and safely. We look forward to your response and continuing to partner with you on this critical mission. |