AFGHAN INTERPRETERS: They deserve residency

I would like to bring attention to the Afghan Safe Adjustment Act which will be debated in Congress very soon. This legislation is bipartisan, and would update the Special Immigrant Visa process for those Afghans who served alongside us during the Afghanistan War. It is critical that the U.S. government does not leave these Afghans who supported us high and dry. They supported us — now we must support them.

I myself participated in three Afghanistan deployments in 2003, 2005 and 2010. I worked alongside several Afghan interpreters who risked their own lives, and their families lives to support us with critical language translation. Many of the interpreters I served alongside with helped me and my team collect intelligence from Afghan Taliban detainees. The intelligence produced which most likely saved the lives of U.S. servicemembers would not have happened without such brave Afghan interpreters conversing and translating in Pashtu, Urdu and Persian Farsi. I can’t emphasize enough how critical these Afghan interpreters were to the success of the mission and preventing harm and casualties to U.S. and NATO Coalition Forces.

This bill will allow for a vetting process in order for these brave Afghans who supported us a lawful process to gain permanent residency here in the United States. Without it thousands of Afghan evacuees could lose their legal right to remain in the U.S.

I have written Sen. Crapo, Sen. Risch and Rep. Fulcher asking for support with this bill. Thank you for your attention and time. God Bless.

DAMON DARAKJY

Coeur d’Alene