Ted Kennedy, Colleagues Urge Rice And Chertoff On Iraqi Refugees

June 28, 2007 -- Washington D.C.-Today Senators Kennedy, Smith, Biden, Hagel, Leahy, Levin and Lieberman sent the following letter Secretary Chertroff and Secretary Rice calling for immediate action to expand our government’s ability to process refugee applications for Iraqis and special immigrant visas for Iraqi and Afghan translators and interpreters:

June 28, 2007

Secretary Michael Chertoff
Department of Homeland Security
Washington, DC 20580

Secretary Condoleezza Rice
Department of State
Washington, DC 20520

Dear Secretary Chertoff and Secretary Rice,

We are writing to urge you to take immediate steps to significantly expand the ability of our government to process refugee applications for Iraqis and special immigrant visas for Iraqi and Afghan translators and interpreters working for our government.

On April 19, Assistant Secretary of State Ellen Sauerbrey said the United States could accept 25,000 refugees in fiscal year 2007, and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has referred 7,000 cases to our government. However, only 63 refugees from Iraq have been accepted by the United States this year.

In addition, on June 15, 2007 President Bush signed Public Law 110-36, which increased to 500 each year the number of visas available to these translators and interpreters for fiscal years 2007 and 2008 and 2009. Because of their service to the United States, these brave translators are in mortal danger every day in Iraq and Afghanistan. They now have a target on their back because of their service to our country, and we need to protect them by quickly granting them safe refuge in the United States. So far, however, only 34 translator visas have been issued, although 609 visa petitions have been approved. We
are concerned that unless urgent steps are taken to expedite the processing, the lives of these translators will remain in jeopardy and a large percentage of the additional visas available this year will be lost.

America has a strong obligation to keep faith with the Iraqis and Afghans who have worked so bravely with us - and have often paid a terrible price for it - and those vulnerable individuals whose lives hang in the balance as a result of the war in Iraq.

America needs to make sure that these vulnerable individuals who have been recommended by high-ranking military and State Department officials and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees are processed in a timely and responsible way. We look forward to continuing to work with you on these issues.

With respect and appreciation,

Sincerely,

______________________ ______________________
Edward M. Kennedy Gordon Smith

______________________ ______________________
Joseph R. Biden Jr. Chuck Hagel

______________________ ______________________
Patrick J. Leahy Carl Levin

______________________
Joseph I. Lieberman

Source: Senator Ted Kennedy

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