More than 80 members of Congress are demanding the Trump administration scrap proposals to relocate roughly 1,100 Afghan nationals to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, arguing the move abandons people who risked their lives supporting American military operations.
The Afghans, currently stranded in Qatar for more than four years since the US withdrawal from Kabul, had worked as interpreters, contractors, and security personnel alongside US forces during nearly two decades of war. A bipartisan coalition including at least three Republicans and numerous Democrats sent a formal letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio this week urging him to reverse course.
"It's both a moral and a national security imperative that our country live up to its promise and watch out for those who put themselves in harm's way to help keep us safe," said Rep. Jason Crow, a Colorado Democrat and former Army Ranger who led the effort.
The push to send the Afghans to the DRC has drawn particular scrutiny given the country is currently battling an Ebola outbreak. When pressed during congressional hearings about whether the administration intended to proceed, Rubio indicated negotiations were ongoing with "multiple countries" to accept the group.
The situation has grown more complicated following an attack in Washington DC late last year in which an Afghan immigrant killed a National Guard soldier and wounded another. The administration seized on the incident to highlight what it characterized as inadequate vetting procedures under the Biden administration, though the suspect was actually granted asylum under Trump's first term. The shooting prompted Trump to sign an executive order barring Afghan refugees, including military allies, from entering the United States.
Congressional Republicans have largely abandoned the bipartisan consensus that once supported special immigrant visa programs designed to resettle Afghans who worked with American forces. The shift reflects broader skepticism about refugee admissions within Trump's party.
Lawmakers making the request acknowledged the political sensitivity but argued the nation's credibility was at stake. "In our nearly 20-year mission in Afghanistan across four administrations, Afghan allies served in essential roles in support of US operations, fighting alongside our service members," the letter stated, urging consideration of at least some applicants for US resettlement.
Author James Rodriguez: "This is a defining moment for how America treats those who took real risks for us, and shipping them off to a disease-ravaged country would send a damaging message about what our promises are worth."
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