U.S. Withdrawal from Afghanistan and the Special Immigrant Visa Program

SOURCE www.foxnews.com
Senators are urging to save the Special Immigrant Visa program for Afghan allies stuck in the country after the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, as reports suggest the program may run out of visas this summer.

Key Points

  • Bipartisan group of Senators led by Sen. Jeanne Shaheen urging to save the program
  • Reports of hundreds of Afghans killed while waiting for the SIV application to be processed
  • State Department has made improvements but still facing challenges

Pros

  • Senators advocating for saving the program to honor promises made to Afghan allies
  • Pushing to include 20,000 additional visas in the new government spending bill

Cons

  • Program plagued by slow processing times
  • Potential for visas to run out later this year