We raised our right hands and pledged to support and defend the Constitution. That commitment does not stop.

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About

Veterans for American Ideals is a nonpartisan group of veterans who share the belief that America is strongest when its policies and actions match its ideals.

We dedicated our lives to our country as citizen-soldiers, and we believe that honor, courage, commitment, duty, and country are not just words, but values worth defending. After taking off the uniform, we seek to continue serving our country by advocating for policies that are consistent with the ideals that motivated us to serve in the first place. Our current campaigns are focused on saving the Special Immigrant Visa program for interpreters and translators who served with the U.S. military, protecting refugees, and countering Islamophobia.

SIV Sips

Veterans for American Ideals, in collaboration with Starbucks, is proud to present SIV Sips. By bringing veterans and refugees together for coffee and conversation, we build bridges between communities and grow together.
 
Named "SIV Sips" in honor of the brave interpreters and translators who received Special Immigrant Visas for their service alongside U.S. troops in Iraq or Afghanistan, the project shows new Americans that they are part of a community, and veterans that their work isn't done just because they've taken off their uniforms. Hosted regularly at Starbucks stores in 14 U.S. cities, SIV Sips invite attendees to sip coffee, build their networks, and share the challenges and victories of life in the United States.
 
Last year, we welcomed our newest neighbors and nurtured the special bond between veterans and SIVs. In 2019, we look forward to hosting SIV Sips in new locations, and to building more welcoming communities together.  

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Resources

Letter: Veteran-Led Organizations Call on the President to Evacuate SIVs from Afghanistan
Human Rights First
Letter | May 10, 2021
Veterans for American Ideals (VFAI) led fifteen veteran-led organizations in a letter calling on President Biden to swiftly evacuate the over 17,000 Afghans in the Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) program as a central element of our military withdrawal from Afghanistan. 
How the Trump Administration’s Refugee Policies Harm Our Iraqi Wartime Allies
Human Rights First
Factsheet | October 01, 2020
U.S.-Affiliated Iraqis and the Iraqi Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) Program 
Is Honduras Safe for Refugees and Asylum Seekers?
Human Rights First
Factsheet | May 01, 2020
On May 1, 2020, the Trump administration published an agreement signed with Honduras in September 2019, that purports to allow the United States to transfer third-country asylum seekers to Honduras, despite the failure
Veteran Coalition Letter to Members of Congress in Support of the Afghan Special Immigrant Visa Program
Human Rights First
Letter | September 19, 2018
September 19, 2018   Dear Members of Congress, We represent more than two hundred thousand veterans from every branch of the United States military and every American conflict since Vietnam.
How the Trump Administration's Executive Orders on Refugees Harm Our Iraqi Wartime Allies
Human Rights First
Factsheet | September 19, 2018
U.S.-Affiliated Iraqis and the Iraqi Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) Program
The Afghan Special Immigrant Visa Program
Human Rights First
Factsheet | September 19, 2018
The Afghan Special Immigrant Visa Program 2009-2018  What is the Afghan Special Immigrant Visa Program?  Download

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News and Views

 

  • Reveille
    | November 18, 2020 |

    For years, I misunderstood the Constitutional Oath which I regularly retook as a U. S. Marine. In fact, for a long time, I missed the point entirely. What did pretty words about freedom and democracy have to do with me? I was a member of a highly...
  • HRF/VFAI Post-Election Messaging Guide
    | November 5, 2020 |

    November 4 HRF_VFAI Post-Election Messaging Guide.pdf
  • America Can Handle It
    | June 23, 2020 |

    How many crises must the U.S. deal with at once?  As a nation, we have been forced to simultaneously protect our citizens from disease,  economic degradation, restrictions on their individual rights, and the largest societal upheaval in a...
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