Afghan, Iraqi Refugees Complain Delayed Visas Threaten Lives

March 14, 2023 by Tom Ramstack
Afghan, Iraqi Refugees Complain Delayed Visas Threaten Lives
FILE - Afghan refugees walk through an Afghan refugee camp at Joint Base McGuire Dix Lakehurst, N.J., on Sept. 27, 2021. Thousands of refugees who fled Afghanistan and now live in the United States are facing an uncertain future. Congress has failed so far to create a pathway to residency for Afghans who came to America after working alongside U.S. soldiers in the war. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File)

WASHINGTON — Afghan and Iraqi refugees accused the Biden administration in a court filing last week of creating too many new obstacles to their residency in the United States.

The plaintiffs were translators for the U.S. military. They say they face retaliation from the Taliban and al-Qaeda if they cannot stay in the United States.

They are applicants for special immigrant visas they say were promised for helping the U.S. military during the war on terrorism in the Middle East.

Now they say some of them are being excluded by new Biden administration performance standards, requirements for length of service and the method for identifying eligible applicants. They also say the policies violate a federal court order.


The nonprofit refugee advocacy group No One Left Behind conservatively estimates nearly 350 Afghans and Iraqis who assisted American soldiers and later sought refugee status in the United States already have been murdered in revenge killings.

The plaintiffs initially filed their complaint in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia in 2018. They won an order last November that eliminated many of the performance and length of service conditions.


Their filing last week accuses the federal government of violating the court order with a “proposed plan” of new conditions for the special immigrant visas.

“Defendants attempt to relieve themselves of key plan obligations and commit to no more than the status quo, all without demonstrating valid justification for the contested changes,” the court filing said. “Even if defendants were to comply perfectly with the Proposed Plan, it would take them over three years, or potentially indefinitely longer, to adjudicate class members’ already unreasonably delayed [special immigrant visa] applications.”

One of the biggest previous obstacles for the visa applicants was getting fired or receiving poor job performance reviews while they worked as U.S. military contractors.

They argue that regardless of whether their job performance was inadequate, they still face risks of death for themselves and their families if their applications are denied.

The U.S. government says that with more than 74,000 applicants for the visas, they need time to determine eligibility and to properly process the applications.


The case is Afghan and Iraqi Allies v. Pompeo et al., case number 1:18-cv-01388, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.

You can reach us at [email protected] and follow us on Facebook and Twitter

A+
a-

In The News

Health

Voting

Litigation

March 14, 2023
by Dan McCue
Ohio Sues Norfolk Southern Over East Palestine Derailment

COLUMBUS, Ohio — The state of Ohio filed a 58-count civil lawsuit against Norfolk Southern Tuesday, seeking to hold the... Read More

COLUMBUS, Ohio — The state of Ohio filed a 58-count civil lawsuit against Norfolk Southern Tuesday, seeking to hold the Class 1 railroad financially responsible for the Feb. 3 derailment in East Palestine that caused the release of an estimated 1 million gallons of hazardous chemicals.... Read More

March 14, 2023
by Tom Ramstack
Afghan, Iraqi Refugees Complain Delayed Visas Threaten Lives

WASHINGTON — Afghan and Iraqi refugees accused the Biden administration in a court filing last week of creating too many... Read More

WASHINGTON — Afghan and Iraqi refugees accused the Biden administration in a court filing last week of creating too many new obstacles to their residency in the United States. The plaintiffs were translators for the U.S. military. They say they face retaliation from the Taliban and... Read More

March 14, 2023
by Dan McCue
Calif. Court Says Uber, Lyft, Can Still Treat Drivers as Contractors

SAN FRANCISCO — Uber, Lyft and other companies with ride-sharing apps can continue to treat their drivers as independent contractors,... Read More

SAN FRANCISCO — Uber, Lyft and other companies with ride-sharing apps can continue to treat their drivers as independent contractors, a California appeals court ruled Monday, overturning a lower court decision. At issue was California’s Proposition 22, which state voters approved in November 2020, and which... Read More

Michael Cohen to Testify Monday in Trump Hush-Money Probe

NEW YORK (AP) — Donald Trump’s former lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen is scheduled to testify Monday before a Manhattan... Read More

NEW YORK (AP) — Donald Trump’s former lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen is scheduled to testify Monday before a Manhattan grand jury investigating hush-money payments made on the former president’s behalf, two people familiar with the matter told The Associated Press. They were not authorized to speak... Read More

Fox Libel Defense at Odds With Top GOP Presidential Foes

NEW YORK (AP) — Fox News is on an unlikely collision course with two leading contenders for the Republican presidential... Read More

NEW YORK (AP) — Fox News is on an unlikely collision course with two leading contenders for the Republican presidential nomination over the rights of journalists. In defending itself against a massive defamation lawsuit over how it covered false claims surrounding the 2020 presidential election, the network is... Read More

March 2, 2023
by Dan McCue
DOJ Argues Trump Not Immune From Jan. 6 Liability Claims

WASHINGTON — Former President Donald Trump should not be able to claim executive immunity from liability claims arising from the... Read More

WASHINGTON — Former President Donald Trump should not be able to claim executive immunity from liability claims arising from the Jan. 6, 2021, siege on the U.S. Capitol, the Justice Department said in a court filing on Thursday. The filing is the latest development in consolidated... Read More

News From The Well
scroll top