President Donald Trump's executive order on immigration should include an exemption for interpreters who aided the U.S. military abroad, according to one Republican congressman.
Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., said on Fox News' "Fox & Friends" Monday that although he supports Trump's order, he believes there should be some exceptions.
"I totally agree with Trump's executive order, but there should be a few exceptions in the Iraqi interpreters who helped our American forces on the ground and are still helping them. Those guys to me should be an exception to his rule," said Hunter, himself a military veteran and an early Trump supporter.
He added that's he began working on this proposal after leaving the military and running for office eight years ago, and that interpreters are a frequent target of radical groups.
Hunter, along with a group of Republican congressmen, recently wrote a letter to Trump announcing their support for Secretary of Defense James Mattis' request to fast-track certain visa reviews from Iraqis who assisted U.S. forces.
"These allies risked their own lives, as well as the well-being of their families, to advance America's security interests in a region where their skillsets and willingness to confront extremism have been invaluable to mission success," the bipartisan group of legislators wrote, according to The Washington Times.
"It is important that a special exception is made for the consideration of individuals who directly supported American personnel overseas."