Draft Letter to Federal Representatives

This draft language may be used by anyone in the United States to write to their elected officials, asking them to stand up for Enduring Welcome and ensure it continues

Subject: Congress Must Act: Save Enduring Welcome and Finish the Mission

Dear [Senator/Representative] [Last Name],

I’m writing to urge you to protect and fully fund the Enduring Welcome program—our country’s last major relocation pathway for Afghan wartime allies, their families, and those who stood shoulder to shoulder with U.S. troops and diplomats.

Since August 2021, Enduring Welcome has safely moved thousands of Afghan allies to the United States through both the Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) and U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP) categories. These two pathways are equally critical—each includes people who risked their lives to support U.S. missions, including interpreters, drivers, partner force members, civil society leaders, and their families.

This program is the most secure, thoroughly vetted immigration process in U.S. history. It is one of the only times I’ve seen our government truly follow through on a promise made during wartime.

In December 2024, Congress passed the CARE Act—with bipartisan support—as part of the FY2025 National Defense Authorization Act, authorizing Enduring Welcome through December 31, 2027.

But on January 20, 2025, President Trump signed executive orders that caused Enduring Welcome to halt. At the time, I believed this was an unintended consequence of broader immigration changes. Now, I’m deeply concerned that this was part of a broader strategy to shut the program down entirely.

Meanwhile, Afghans who were relocated to the U.S. under humanitarian parole or TPS are now receiving notices of termination—leaving families in limbo, unsure if they will be allowed to stay. The infrastructure to move people abroad is collapsing just as protections are being stripped from those already here. This layered chaos threatens lives and undermines the moral clarity this program once offered.

I understand that the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has asked the State Department to use the remaining funds to permanently wind down Enduring Welcome by the end of FY2025. That would leave tens of thousands of allies behind and abandon the infrastructure built to protect them.

Why This Matters to Me

  • Over 200,000 Afghans remain in the U.S. government’s pipeline, including:

    • Thousands in Afghanistan who have already cleared vetting and are awaiting relocation

    • More than 3,000 family members of active-duty U.S. military personnel, currently stranded due to paused processing

    • Members of partner forces who served directly alongside American troops

    • Over 200 U.S. citizens who are still trapped in Afghanistan

  • The SIV visa cap is nearly exhausted, even though tens of thousands of applicants have been approved and are waiting

  • Enduring Welcome is the only large-scale legal relocation mechanism still functioning

Ending this program now would be a strategic, moral, and humanitarian failure. It would send the message that our country does not stand by its word.

My Request

I respectfully ask that you:

  1. Reject any effort to prematurely shut down Enduring Welcome, which is legally authorized through December 2027

  2. Ensure that full funding for Enduring Welcome and CARE operations is included in FY2025 appropriations

  3. Support additional SIV allocations and increased refugee processing capacity to meet the clear and ongoing need

  4. Insist that the Trump Administration comply with congressional intent and continue Enduring Welcome operations through the full authorization period.

This is not just about immigration policy. It’s about national honor. I want to live in a country that keeps its promises—and I’m asking for your help to make sure it does.

Thank you for your service to our country and for standing up for those who stood with us.

Sincerely,
[Your Full Name]
[Your City, State]
[Your Contact Info]