Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Marjorie Taylor Greene unite in push to free Julian Assange | Julian Assange

Maga Republican and fierce Trump supporter Marjorie Taylor Greene and left-wing Democratic troublemaker Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez have found common ground in the release of Australian WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.

The pair are among 16 members of the US Congress who have written directly to President Joe Biden urging the United States to halt extradition efforts against Assange and immediately halt any prosecution proceedings.

The group warns that continuing to pursue Assange will endanger America’s bilateral relationship with Australia.

“It is the duty of journalists to seek sources, including documentary evidence, to report to the public on the activities of the government,” said the letter to Biden, first reported by Nine Newspapers.

“The United States should not pursue unnecessary prosecutions that risk criminalizing common journalistic practices and chilling the work of the free press. We urge you to ensure that this matter is concluded as quickly as possible.”

Assange remains in Belmarsh Prison in London as he fights a US attempt to extradite him and face charges – including under the Espionage Act. The charges relate to the publication of hundreds of thousands of leaked documents on the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, as well as diplomatic cables, in 2010 and 2011.

In September, a cross-party delegation of Australian MPs, including former Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce, Teal independent Monique Ryan, Greens Senators David Shoebridge and Peter Whish-Wilson, Conservative Alex Antic and Labor Chief Executive Tony Zappia, traveled to America for a meeting with US representatives on Assange’s case.

The group hoped to gain support from US lawmakers in their bid to halt the pursuit of Assange ahead of Anthony Albanese’s official visit to Washington.

Since coming to power, the Albanian government has made more progress than its predecessors in pushing for Assange’s freedom, but so far the Biden administration has rejected these calls.

Albanese confirmed he had raised Assange’s case again last month during his meeting with Biden at the White House, but Assange’s brother, Gabriel Shipton, urged the Australian government to step up the pressure.

Shipton told Guardian Australia: “If this government can bring Cheng Lei back from China, why is he so powerless when it comes to Julian and the US?”

As Assange’s ability to legally appeal the US extradition diminishes, his supporters fear for his life.