LETTER: Deporting Afghan refugees is a betrayal of brave U.S. allies

To Ozaukee Press:

Our hearts go out to the families of the two National Guard members shot in D.C.—one mourning the loss of a daughter and the other praying for a son who is fighting for his life.

Many people are understandably shocked and angry that the shooter was an

Afghan refugee. It’s important, though, that we keep our heads, especially with President Trump once again waving the bloody shirt.

It’s worth recalling that when President Biden led the largest airlifts in history in August 2021, the right complained he didn’t evacuate enough people from Afghanistan—even though an extraordinary 124,000 people were flown out of Kabul, with 74,000 ultimately resettling in the United States.

Turns out the shooter was among the many Afghans who worked alongside the

U.S. in the fight against the Taliban, saving many American lives. Now Trump is using this tragic incident as a pretext to call for deporting all Afghan refugees back to Afghanistan, despite the near-certain danger they would face from the Taliban.

Here’s the real-world consequence of such rhetoric: If we ever enter another conflict, who will be willing to risk their lives to help us? This kind of shortsighted thinking doesn’t make America safer—it does the exact opposite.

Keith R. Schmitz

Milwaukee