There are few things that Americans of different political stripes seem to be able to agree on these days – especially when it comes to who should be allowed to come to our country. Chances for bipartisan compromise, or even better, cooperation, are few and far between. Yet thanks to the work of our own Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, one such opportunity has been presented in the U.S. Senate.
Along with Republican Sens. John McCain of Arizona and Thom Tillis of North Carolina, as well as Democratic Sen. Jack Reed of Rhode Island, Shaheen introduced legislation to expand the Special Immigrant Visa program.
Since 2009, a few thousand Afghans and Iraqis have come to the United States on SIVs after an extensive vetting and verification process on the basis of their service: Each of them worked directly with (or is the immediate family of someone who worked directly with) U.S. forces on the ground and is now at risk as a result.
Why do I care so much about these particular visa applicants? Because I served alongside them myself.
When I was as a soldier on the streets of Iraq, having a trusted interpreter around was the difference between life and death. A 20-year-old Iraqi woman named Wissam was paired with my unit for a time, helping us build trust along the local population, navigate a completely foreign terrain and understand critical tips from the locals about IED attacks around the next corner. Without her, we would’ve been worse than flying blind.
But Wissam’s work, and the work of so many Iraqis like her, didn’t come without risk. In May of 2004, she and two other interpreters left the gates of our base and were murdered by three terrorist gunmen before they could make it home. Her death was as devastating as it was common, because terrorist groups made a specific point to kill those who “collaborated” with the Americans.
The SIV program was created for people like Wissam because of the service they performed and the threats that they were willing to face to do it. These Iraqis and Afghans shared our values and put their lives on the line to prove it. In return, we offered them safety and opportunity in the United States, away from the terrorists hunting them and their families.
Wissam won’t ever get her chance to live the life that she fought for, but there are still countless Iraqi and Afghan interpreters who could – if the Congress chooses to act. Last week, the State Department said that they would cease interviewing any applicants for SIVs this month. Thankfully, Shaheen and her colleagues, Democrats and Republicans alike, stepped in to offer a solution: 2,500 additional visas for the program.
The SIV program is the best of America. It celebrates the values and courage of those who were willing to stand and fight alongside us. Passing Shaheen’s legislation and continuing this bipartisan tradition will keep our national conscience and our international credibility clean. Ignoring this legislation and letting the program lapse for the sake of political grandstanding or, worse, out of naked fear and callous suspicion, means abandoning our allies to a fate we know all too well.
The choice could not be more obvious. Congress should pass the Keeping Our Promise to Our Afghan Allies Act and send a clear message to the world: America keeps its word and stands with those who stand with us.
(Michael Breen is a native of Portsmouth and is the president and CEO of the Truman National Security Project.)