Michigan — The American Center for Justice (ACJ) has sent an official letter to the U.S. Department of State, urgently appealing for immediate intervention to save more than 110 Yemeni families—former local staff of the U.S. Embassy in Sana’a—who remain stranded in Egypt under extremely harsh and deteriorating humanitarian conditions. These circumstances have already claimed the lives of four breadwinners due to illness, psychological distress, and lack of access to medical care, leaving their families without any means of support or protection in the absence of meaningful assistance.
In its letter, ACJ explained that these former employees, who served the U.S. government during critical periods, suffered grave abuses at the hands of the Houthi militia after the embassy’s closure in 2015—including abduction, enforced disappearance, and arbitrary detention. While some managed to flee to Egypt, their suffering did not end there. Today, they face severe poverty, marginalization, lack of medical care and education, and no legal means to work, while soaring costs make it impossible for them to renew their residencie, leaving them in constant legal jeopardy.
The letter detailed the scale of the crisis these families are facing. Many suffer from acute food insecurity, surviving on just one meal a day. Rent for a modest apartment averages $200 per month, far beyond their means. Renewing residency permits,costing $150 per person every six months, has become impossible, barring them from hospitals or medical treatment and excluding their children from schools, as local authorities will not enroll students without valid residency.
ACJ emphasized that this fragile legal status exposes families to the threat of arrest or deportation, forcing them to live in overcrowded, impoverished neighborhoods where many have fallen victim to theft and extortion.
Many have sold off their last remaining possessions just to survive. In the absence of consistent support from the U.S. government or international aid agencies, they now face an uncertain future, further worsened by the fact that some private sponsors have stopped providing help due to the prolonged lack of resolution.
In this context, ACJ President Latifa Jamel stressed that the situation can no longer bear delay, stating: “Abandoning these partners, who served U.S. institutions in a hostile environment, is an ethical and strategic failure that cannot be justified.”
ACJ called on the U.S. Department of State to take immediate action, including: expediting resettlement or issuing special visas—such as through the Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) program or P-2 referrals or any other available humanitarian pathways; providing urgent financial assistance in coordination with UN agencies or partner NGOs; and ensuring transparent and consistent communication with the affected families to rebuild trust and restore hope.
These families were evacuated from Yemen at the request of the State Department and in coordination with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) under official assurances that they would be transferred to the United States within six to nine months. While some families have since been resettled, approximately 110 families remain stranded in Cairo to this day, with no clear prospects or tangible support.
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