Yemeni-Americans from more than 20 US states gathered in Washington D.C. last week for the third annual Yemen Advocacy Day, where they met members of Congress to raise immigration, humanitarian, and security concerns.
Nearly 150 participants took part in the program, which began on September 2 with training sessions and workshops and continued the next day with meetings on Capitol Hill.
Abdulsamad Elfgeeh, president of the Washington Center for Yemeni Studies (WCYS), explained that the initiative aimed to amplify the voice of the Yemeni-American community and strengthen its engagement with US institutions in support of peace and stability in Yemen. During the meetings, participants outlined priorities such as renewing Temporary Protected Status (TPS), reviving the Five-Year Sponsorship Program, and reopening a US consulate in Aden.
The Trump-era travel ban, which restricted citizens of 12 countries, including Yemen, was a major focus. Activists highlighted its impact on families divided across borders and voiced concern that nearly 4,000 Yemeni-Americans could lose legal protection when TPS expires in March 2026. “Yemenis have lived and contributed in this country for decades, and they cannot be treated as second-class immigrants,” activist Fatima Wasil told Shafaq News, warning that forced returns would mean “political and economic turmoil, and in some cases the forced recruitment of their children.”
Wasil also appealed to lawmakers to support Yemen’s state institutions, describing the rebuilding of a capable national army with US assistance as “the first step” toward restoring authority and stability.
Discussions with legislators revealed partisan differences. According to Soheil Abdulrahman al-Akhfash, secretary-general of the Yemeni community in Maryland, Republicans concentrated on the Houthis and Iran’s alleged involvement, pointing to draft legislation that could redirect seized Iranian weapons to conflicts abroad, such as supporting Ukraine and possibly Yemen, while cautioning that lifting the travel ban would be difficult given security conditions. Democrats, he noted, placed greater emphasis on immigration, pledging to extend TPS and cancel the ban.