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.
Join Veterans for American Ideals
Leader Spotlight: Wisam Al-Baidhani
"When we signed up to serve, we didn't think about what was going to happen to us after. The one thing on our mind was helping the United States to help us. It’s now the U.S. government’s responsibility to help those people who put their lives on the line for the mission and who left all the people they love behind," says Wisam Al-Baidhani, who served as an interpreter for the U.S. military in Iraq for four years. He came to the United States in 2011 and became a U.S. citizen in February of this year.
Read More...Resources
- President Trump's Executive Order on Refugees Harms Our Iraqi Allies
Human Rights First
factsheet | July 18, 2017 | Human Rights FirstRecognizing the importance of protecting Iraqi allies who served alongside the U.S. Military, U.S. agencies, media, and non-governmental organizations....
- Victory for Afghans who Served with American Forces
Human Rights First
report | May 31, 2017 | Human Rights FirstAs veterans, we served with and often depended on interpreters, translators, and other local allies to carry out missions in Afghanistan....
- Trump's Refugee and Immigration Executive Order
Human Rights First
factsheet | January 31, 2017 | Human Rights FirstThe order discriminates against Muslims, imperils refugees, and degrades U.S. national security and global leadership....
- The Afghan Special Immigrant Visa Program
Human Rights First
factsheet | December 12, 2016 | Human Rights FirstWhat is the Afghan Special Immigrant Visa Program?...
- National Security Leaders Statement of Principles on America's Commitment to Refugees
Human Rights First
letter | June 23, 2016 | Human Rights FirstSTATEMENT OF PRINCIPLES ON AMERICA’S COMMITMENT TO REFUGEES...
- Remarks by Deputy National Security Advisor Avril Haines Commemorating World Refugee Day
Human Rights First
transcription | June 15, 2016 | Human Rights FirstAs Prepared for Delivery - Fried Frank LLP, Washington, D.C...
News and Views
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News from the Week of September 18th
Blog | September 22, 2017 |Here's the latest round-up of what we've been reading and watching this week, from the news and around the web:
After the New York Times reported that the Trump Administration may cut this year’s refugee cap to below 50,000, VFAI Founder...
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News from the Week of September 11th
Blog | September 15, 2017 |Here's the latest round-up of what we've been reading and watching this week, from the news and around the web:
As the deadline nears for the administration to determine this year’s refugees admissions cap, numerous human rights, foreign...
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Remembering 9/11
Blog | September 8, 2017 |By Fiona Tomlin
On the sixteenth anniversary of September 11, 2001, we are reminded of the ripple-effects of that fateful day. As a nation we continue to honor the victims of 9/11 and the ultimate sacrifice of so many service men and women...