U.S. Lawmaker Urges Protection for Iraq’s Christian Minorities

.S. Rep. Darin LaHood, R-Ill (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

A senior Republican lawmaker is urging President Trump to prioritize the rights and political future of Iraq’s Chaldean Syriac Assyrian Christians, calling it both a moral obligation and a strategic U.S. interest. In a February 16 letter, Rep. Darin LaHood asked the White House to press Baghdad and the Kurdistan Regional Government to enforce Article 125 of Iraq’s Constitution, which guarantees administrative, political, and cultural rights for the indigenous Christian community but has gone largely unimplemented for nearly two decades. He also called for restoring electoral quota protections and diaspora voting, arguing that enforcing existing laws would strengthen security and help stem emigration.

LaHood further urged renewed U.S. support for vetted grassroots Christian political organizations and raised concerns about economic discrimination that has accelerated the community’s decline. Copying Secretary of State Marco Rubio on the letter, he framed the issue as a test of U.S. commitment to protecting persecuted Christians and maintaining a stable, pro-American presence in a volatile region, as advocacy groups intensify efforts to secure long-promised constitutional protections.