A bipartisan group of lawmakers is sending a letter to President Trump on Monday urging him to support a request from the defense secretary to exempt military interpreters from the ban on citizens of seven countries coming into the United States.
Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., and Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill., took the lead on the letter to Trump, saying that foreign interpreters who served with the U.S. military overseas risked their own lives and those of their families to advance America’s national security interests and may face increased threats in the wake of the ban announced on Friday.
“We are concerned that, with specific application to individuals who worked with the U.S. government on the ground, certain immigrants deserving prompt consideration are likely to be overlooked. We encourage you to make special consideration in the review process for these individuals, who are certain to face threats to their own lives as part of the broader pause in refugee and immigrant admissions,” the letter reads.
Reps. Earl Blumenauer, D-Ore., Steve Stivers, R-Ohio, and Seth Moulton, D-Mass., also have signed the letter.
Hunter was one of the first Republicans in Congress to endorse Trump in February, when he said that the country needs “a leader” as a president.
Trump signed an executive order Friday that prevents refugees from coming to the U.S. for 120 days and bans citizens of seven Muslim-majority countries from coming to the United States for 90 days. Syrians have been banned from coming to the U.S. indefinitely.
Defense Secretary Jim Mattis on Monday said the Pentagon is putting together a list of Iraqis who helped the U.S. military and should be exempt from the ban.
The Special Immigrant Visa program allows Iraqi and Afghan interpreters who served with the U.S. military to come to the United States and bring their families, since many face threats in their homeland for helping Americans.
The fiscal 2017 National Defense Authorization Act included an additional 1,500 visas for Afghan interpreters, but about 12,000 interpreters and their family members have applied to come to the U.S. The Obama administration requested an additional 4,000 visas in its fiscal 2017 budget request.
The shortage immediately sparked outrage from lawmakers, including Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., and Moulton, who promised to fight for more slots in future bills.
