The Pentagon wants Trump to admit more Iraqi refugees

The Trump administration's drastic reduction of the number of refugees admitted to America is having dire effects for Iraqis who have helped the U.S. military, the Pentagon has warned the White House.

Since the United States invaded Iraq in 2003 and continued to occupy the country in the years since, U.S. troops have been assisted by Iraqis who offered translation services and other help navigating the cultural divide. Those Iraqis' work has put their lives and their families in danger from extremist groups like the Islamic State, causing thousands to seek refugee status under a special program for those who have assisted the U.S. military or worked in the media or with humanitarian groups.

More than 5,000 Iraqi refugees were admitted to the U.S. via this program in 2016, and more than 3,000 came in 2017. In fiscal year 2018, just 48 have been admitted as applications are bogged down in additional vetting procedures. Beyond endangering the lives of U.S.-affiliated Iraqis now, the Pentagon has expressed concern that this shift will make future cooperation with U.S. forces a harder sell in war zones across the Mideast.

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The White House declined to give Reuters a direct comment on this report.