Kelly, Blumenthal, Democratic Colleagues Call on Trump Administration to Halt Removal of Afghan Allies To DRC

Senators Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), and 27 of their Democratic colleagues called on Secretary of State Marco Rubio to immediately halt the Trump Administration's reported plans to transfer Afghan allies, including interpreters currently located in Qatar, to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The Afghan refugees were evacuated from Afghanistan by the U.S. government due to their work on behalf of American forces and the risk their support of the U.S. mission poses to their lives.

"According to multiple credible reports, the Administration is considering relocating more than 1,000 Afghan nationals currently stranded in Qatar, including interpreters, special operations personnel, and their families to the DRC. Should the Administration pursue these negotiations with the DRC and relocate those families, it would constitute one of the most cruel and imprudent betrayals in our Nation's history," the senators wrote.

The senators warned the proposal would break America's promise to Afghan allies and force them into dangerous conditions: "The United Nations declared that the DRC is gripped by "one of the world's most complex displacement crises despite peace efforts." Callously sending our Afghan allies - to include 400 children - into an ongoing humanitarian disaster cannot be the United States' legacy amongst the Afghan people. [….] We made a promise to our allies. They fought alongside our sons and daughters for years with the understanding that America would not abandon them if the worst came to pass. Instead of honoring that promise, the Administration is reportedly offering them a false dichotomy: to return to Afghanistan where torture and death await them, or to be sent to a country in the midst of one of the largest humanitarian crises in the world."

"The Administration may not hold itself responsible for the events that led to the Afghan refugee crisis, but it is responsible for the path forward. We urge you to cease any negotiations that would result in the involuntary or coerced transfer of Afghan allies to third countries ill equipped to ensure their safety. The Administration's missteps with allies around the world have already damaged our global standing and reputation, do not compound your past mistakes with another," the senators concluded.

The letter was also signed by Senators Michael Bennet (D-CO),Cory Booker (D-NJ),Chris Coons (D-DE),Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV),Tammy Duckworth (D-IL),Dick Durbin (D-IL),John Fetterman (D-PA),Ruben Gallego (D-AZ),Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY),John Hickenlooper (D-CO),Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI),Tim Kaine (D-VA),Andy Kim (D-NJ),Amy Klobuchar (D-MN),Edward J. Markey (D-MA),Jeff Merkley (D-OR),Patty Murray (D-WA),Alex Padilla (D-CA), Gary Peters (D-MI), Jacky Rosen (D-NV),Elissa Slotkin (D-MI),Chris Van Hollen (D-MD),Mark Warner (D-VA),Raphael Warnock (D-GA),Peter Welch (D-VT), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI),and Ron Wyden (D-OR).

Click here to read the full letter.