Open letter to Secretaries Markwayne Mullin and Marco Rubio
Join more than 600 Americans demanding the U.S. keep its word.
1,100 vetted Afghan allies are at risk of being sent to unsafe third countries instead of the United States. Many are family members of U.S. servicemembers.
That is not a solution. It is abandonment.
What’s Happening
More than 1,100 Afghan allies and their families are currently being held at Camp As Sayliyah (CAS) in Qatar under U.S. authority.
Approximately 800 are fully vetted and approved refugees, cleared for travel to the United States. Many are family members of active-duty U.S. servicemembers and Intelligence Community partners. More than half are women and children.
They were moved to Qatar by the United States to complete lawful immigration processing. They followed the rules. They passed extensive vetting. They have now been stuck in transit for more than 15 months.
The Administration is reportedly considering relocating them to the Democratic Republic of Congo.
They were not vetted for the DRC. They were approved for the United States.
Why This Matters
This is bigger than one camp or one policy decision.
It’s about whether the United States keeps its word.
These individuals risked their lives alongside American forces
Many are entitled to family reunification under U.S. law
All have undergone some of the most rigorous vetting in U.S. immigration history
There is no credible security justification for denying them entry.
Relocating them to a third country is not a temporary fix. It is a permanent diversion from commitments already made.
If the United States can hold approved refugees in transit and then redirect them elsewhere, future partners will not trust American promises.
That risk extends to every future conflict.
What We’re Seeing
This is not an isolated decision. It reflects a broader pattern:
Suspension of refugee processing in January 2025
Elimination of CARE and termination of Enduring Welcome
Slowdown of SIV processing
Attempts to repatriate Afghans awaiting U.S. processing
Taken together, these actions undermine the largest relocation commitment the United States has made to wartime allies in generations.
What Needs to Happen
We are calling for immediate action:
Abandon any plan to relocate CAS residents to third countries
Admit all approved refugees at CAS to the United States
Ensure safe and secure conditions at CAS while relocation proceeds
Resume full processing of SIV, refugee, and family reunification cases
Brief Congress on the legal authority for continued detention
Meet with coalition leaders and impacted families
Commit publicly to resolving this situation in line with existing law
These are not new demands. They are the minimum required to honor commitments already made.
The Coalition
This effort is led by veterans, military families, faith leaders, refugee resettlement organizations, civil rights groups, and frontline civilians.
It is bipartisan. It always has been.
The people closest to this issue understand what is at stake.