Press Release: Combat Veterans Defend SIV Program Ahead of Senate Hearing

WASHINGTON — Combat veterans who served alongside Afghan allies are calling on the Senate Judiciary Committee to preserve the integrity of the Afghan Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) program ahead of Wednesday's hearing on Afghan evacuations, emphasizing critical distinctions that risk being lost in the aftermath of tragedy.

The Jan. 14 hearing, titled "Biden's Afghan Parolee Program: A Trojan Horse with Flawed Vetting and Deadly Consequences," follows the Nov. 26 attack that killed Army Spc. Sarah Beckstrom and critically wounded Air Force Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, and plans to examine the relocations of all Afghan allies conducted under the Biden Administration.

This hearing follows the suspension of the Afghan SIV program under Presidential Proclamation 10998 and the halt of all immigration processing for Afghan nationals resettled in the United States.

No One Left Behind has submitted testimony to the Committee with an urgent message: The Afghan SIV program is a national security imperative. The SIV program operates necessary and continuous vetting while ensuring that those who fought for the United States in its counterterrorism mission are brought to safety.

"I join you in mourning Army Spc. Sarah Beckstrom and praying for Air Force Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe's recovery," said Andrew Sullivan, executive director of No One Left Behind and an Army veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan. "What happened to them demands justice. But the Committee must be precise. The Afghan SIV program is a key pathway to remedy the failures of our withdrawal—not an extension of them."

Veterans submitting their stories to the committee describe their deep connection to the Afghan allies who saved American lives and now contribute to American communities. Retired Army Lt. Col. Mariah Smith details an Afghan doctor who served U.S. forces for nearly 20 years and now works for the Dallas Health Department. Senior Airman Bryce Dressler recounts how his interpreter's composure under fire in 2012 allowed U.S. forces to escape a compromised position.

"My safe return to the U.S. depended directly on their courage," Dressler wrote.

Army veteran Alex described his interpreter "Z," who protected him from insider attacks. Z now drives for a rideshare company while his wife works in elder care and their children thrive in school. "We need to show our partners that this is how the U.S. honors its commitments," Alex testified.

Sullivan draws on his own experience commanding a 2013 route clearance mission in Zabul province, where an Afghan EOD team saved American lives by manually destroying IEDs under Taliban fire. The Afghan platoon leader was killed during that mission. "He saved my soldiers and me, but I couldn't save him," Sullivan wrote. "He was one of many Afghans who brought me home alive."

The national security stakes extend beyond individuals directly affected, Sullivan warns. "If we abandon America's Afghan allies, our adversaries will have a propaganda weapon to use against us in future conflicts. We must ensure that when America goes abroad again, we have local nationals willing to take extraordinary risks on our behalf."

Sullivan argues that keeping vetted allies out of Taliban hands is both moral imperative and strategic necessity. "If we abandon these partners now, American soldiers in the field today and across future engagements could be left blind."

No One Left Behind urges the Committee to examine the lessons learned from emergency operations while recognizing the continued necessity of the Afghan SIV program that Congress established to protect Afghan nationals facing deadly retribution for their service alongside U.S. forces.

About No One Left Behind

No One Left Behind is the nation's oldest veteran-founded nonprofit dedicated to ensuring America keeps its promise to wartime allies from Iraq and Afghanistan. Since 2013, NOLB has provided advocacy, resettlement assistance, and financial support to thousands of SIV recipients who served alongside U.S. troops.