House votes to allow more Afghans who assisted U.S. to evacuate before withdrawal
22 July 2021
The House on Thursday voted to expand a visa program that would allow more Afghans who helped the U.S. military quickly immigrate to the United States, the New York Times reports.
Why it matters: Last month, the Biden administration made plans to evacuate many of the Afghans who worked with the U.S. military before completing the troop withdrawal from Afghanistan. These individuals and their families face threats of retaliation from the Taliban because of their service to the U.S. military.
Details: The bill, which would expand the special visa program from 11,000 to 19,000, passed by a vote of 407 to 16.
- The legislation further broadens who is eligible for the program, removing some application requirements.
- For example, applicants will no longer need to provide a sworn statement that they faced threats or worked a "sensitive job" with the U.S. military, per the NYT.
What they're saying: "Many of us have expressed grave concerns about the challenges our allies face in navigating the application process," Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D- Calif.) said.
- "They will be killed if we don’t get them out of there," Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas) said. "Please, Mr. President, get them out before they are killed."
What to watch: The bill still faces a vote in the Senate.
Go deeper:U.S. to evacuate some Afghans who helped troops before withdrawal
Transcripts show George Floyd told police "I can't breathe" over 20 times
Section2Newly released transcripts of bodycam footage from the Minneapolis Police Department show that George Floyd told officers he could not breathe more than 20 times in the moments leading up to his death.
Why it matters: Floyd's killing sparked a national wave of Black Lives Matter protests and an ongoing reckoning over systemic racism in the United States. The transcripts "offer one the most thorough and dramatic accounts" before Floyd's death, The New York Times writes.
The state of play: The transcripts were released as former officer Thomas Lane seeks to have the charges that he aided in Floyd's death thrown out in court, per the Times. He is one of four officers who have been charged.
- The filings also include a 60-page transcript of an interview with Lane. He said he "felt maybe that something was going on" when asked if he believed that Floyd was having a medical emergency at the time.
What the transcripts say:
- Floyd told the officers he was claustrophobic as they tried to get him into the squad car.
- The transcripts also show Floyd saying, "Momma, I love you. Tell my kids I love them. I'm dead."
- Former officer Derek Chauvin, who had his knee on Floyd's neck for over eight minutes, told Floyd, "Then stop talking, stop yelling, it takes a heck of a lot of oxygen to talk."
Read the transcripts via DocumentCloud.