For 11 years, I have called Dallas home. I have worked in our warehouses, studied in our classrooms and built a life in North Texas. On Jan. 27, 2025, I reached a new milestone in my American journey: I was sworn in as the Republican chair for Dallas County Elections Precinct 4033 and a member of the Dallas County Republican Party’s executive committee. I am proud to be a Republican because I believe in the core values of this party: security, the rule of law and the sanctity of the American Dream.
But on Dec. 5, that dream hit a wall. While I was working to serve my precinct and my community, my family was standing in an embassy in Islamabad, only to be told they were denied immigrant visas under Section 212(f) of the Immigration and Nationality Act. The consular officer did not even look at their National Interest Exception packet, which included documents of support from my military commanders and my own local party leadership.
My American dream started when I was 18 years old in Kandahar, Afghanistan. I served as a combat interpreter for the U.S. Army, risking my life alongside American soldiers to help secure a region plagued by terror. I saw firsthand that national security is about precision. It is about identifying the specific individuals who wish us harm and protecting the innocent who stand with us. When I wore that uniform, I wasn’t just a contractor; I was a brother-in-arms to the Americans I served. I took those risks because I believed in the promise that America stands by those who stand by her.
I came to America on a Special Immigrant Visa in 2014, and I have spent every day since trying to prove I was worth the investment. I have worked in manufacturing, earned my degree in business and obtained my real estate license. I joined the local GOP because I believe in a secure border and a strong immigrant vetting process. I am a businessman who understands that for any system to work, there must be order. I am not asking for a shortcut or for our standards to be lowered. I am asking for our policies to reflect the very values we say we are defending.
Opinion
The current broad application of the travel ban feels like collective punishment. It treats the families of those who have already proved their loyalty as if they are the threat. My family consists of good, hardworking people who love this country just as much as I do. When we cast such a wide net that it catches the families of our own combat allies and local party officials, we aren’t just securing the border; we are inadvertently hurting the people who help keep this country running.
As a precinct chair, I talk to voters about the future of our country. I talk about why the Republican Party is the home for those who value freedom and security. It is a difficult conversation to have when my own family is being held in permanent limbo by a policy that doesn’t account for individual merit or documented service.
We can have a secure America without separating the families of those who have bled for the American flag. We can have strict vetting without punishing thousands of good people for the actions of a few terrorists. I believe in the leadership of President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and I believe they want a system that is both strong and just.
I am a businessman, a local GOP official, and a man who owes his life to the U.S. Army. I love this country. I just want my family to be able to love it alongside me.
Fnu Milat is a Dallas realtor, Republican Party precinct chair and member of the Dallas County Republican Party Executive Committee.