Our children ask why they cannot go to school. Our mothers and wives carry the weight of uncertainty. We served the United States with loyalty. Today, we ask only for safety and dignity.

We are the families of former Locally Employed Staff (LES) of the U.S. Embassy in Sana’a, Yemen. We served in critical roles, including security, protection, and operational support, working in a high‑risk environment to safeguard American personnel and support diplomatic missions. We underwent rigorous background checks and were entrusted with responsibilities that required the highest level of reliability and commitment.

After the embassy’s closure, many of us continued supporting U.S. interests under dangerous conditions. This service made us targets of hostile actors and extremist groups.

Recognizing the risks we faced, the United States referred us to the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP) under Priority 1 (P‑1) status—the highest level of government referral. Following official guidance, we made life‑altering decisions. We left our jobs, gave up our homes, withdrew our children from school, and relocated in good faith, trusting in a process that promised safety.

Today, we remain in a state of prolonged uncertainty and vulnerability.

Our past service places us at serious risk if returned to Yemen. At the same time, our current situation leaves us without stability, without the ability to work, and without access to basic needs. Families are struggling to survive, facing difficult choices between shelter, food, and healthcare.

The impact on our families is profound.

Our children have lost access to education and a sense of normal life. They are growing up in uncertainty, carrying emotional and psychological burdens no child should bear. Their future remains uncertain.

Our women carry an especially heavy burden. As caregivers in unstable conditions, they face limited access to healthcare, ongoing emotional stress, and the daily responsibility of holding families together under extreme pressure. Their resilience is constant, but the conditions they endure are unsustainable.

We are not simply displaced—we are vetted allies. Our service, loyalty, and commitment are documented and verified. How our situation is addressed will send a clear message to all locally employed staff who support U.S. missions around the world.

📢 Our Call for Action

We respectfully call on the United States government to take responsibility and find a solution that restores our lives and dignity. We ask for:

Immediate protection – Ensure that we are not returned to harm while a durable solution is being pursued.
A genuine commitment to resolve our situation – Activate all available humanitarian pathways and consider creative solutions that reflect the unique bond we share as former embassy staff.
A chance to rebuild – Provide us with a path forward that allows our families to live in safety, with access to education, healthcare, and the opportunity to contribute once again.
We are open to any realistic and humane solution that grants us freedom from fear, freedom from want, and the right to live with dignity. We ask only that the promise made to us be kept—and that our families, especially our children and women, be treated with the humanity and respect they deserve.

Sign this petition. Share our story. Tell the White House and Congress: Honor the promise. 

Signed by the Committee of Former U.S. Embassy Yemeni Staff Stranded in Egypt