No One Left Behind Statement on Federal Court Ruling in Afghan & Iraqi Allies v. Rubio

Media Contact: Matthew Marcellus | Media@nooneleft.org

WASHINGTON, D.C. – No One Left Behind welcomes Friday's federal court decision ordering the U.S. Department of State to resume processing Chief of Mission (COM) applications for Afghan and Iraqi allies with pending Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) applications. The ruling requires this first step in the significant SIV vetting to resume immediately for class members whose applications have been pending longer than the congressionally mandated nine-month timeline.

We are grateful for the International Refugee Assistance Project's tireless advocacy on behalf of Afghan and Iraqi allies. This ruling is a necessary step forward. Resuming COM processing ensures that applications continue to be vetted and advanced appropriately, preventing a catastrophic backlog when visa issuance resumes and maintaining legal accountability under the Afghan Allies Protection Act.

However, this decision does not solve the challenge facing our allies. The current travel ban continues to prevent all Afghan nationals, including SIV holders, from entering the United States, and Iraqi and Afghan SIV issuance remains suspended. Thousands of fully-vetted allies remain stranded in hostile third countries where they face persecution, violence, and removal back to Taliban-controlled Afghanistan.

No One Left Behind will continue working with coalition partners, veteran advocates, and U.S. government allies to fully reopen the Afghan and Iraqi SIV programs. America made a promise to those who risked everything to serve alongside our troops. As today’s decision reaffirms, the U.S. government has a legal obligation to keep it.

About No One Left Behind

No One Left Behind serves Afghan and Iraqi allies who risked their lives serving alongside U.S. military forces. We provide case support, sustainment assistance, resettlement services, and advocacy to ensure the U.S. government honors its commitment to those who served our mission. www.nooneleft.org

No One Left Behind co-chairs the Evacuate Our Allies Coalition SIV Working Group with our partners at IRAP and Association of Wartime Allies.

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