**B Stands for Bonds**

Good afternoon,

On Monday, President Biden signed a presidential determination raising
the refugee ceiling from 15,000 - a historic low - to 62,500. We
applaud the President for taking this first step

to rebuild the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program. This bold action will
help to restore our resettlement system and, as stated by

President Biden, "remove any lingering doubt in the minds of refugees
around the world who have suffered so much, and who are anxiously
waiting for their new lives to begin."

While it is highly unlikely we will resettle 62,500 refugees before
September 30th - the end of the fiscal year - President Biden's
decision to raise the cap will have positive outcomes: not only will
tens of thousands of fully-vetted refugees be eligible to reunite with
their loved ones, but government agencies and resettlement offices will
be able to begin rebuilding and rescaling their operations to serve
larger numbers of refugees in the future.

As we celebrate this hard
-fought
win for refugees, we
are also tracking bipartisan legislation

that would allocate an additional 4,000 Special Immigrant Visas (SIVs)
for Afghan nationals who work alongside the U.S. military in
Afghanistan. These Afghans work with U.S. troops in various roles, and
may serve as interpreters, security personnel, or drivers. Because of
their willingness to aid the U.S. military, they and their families are
often at risk of retaliation from the Taliban and other dangerous
actors. The SIV program protects our Afghan allies by allowing them to
resettle in the U.S. through the refugee program.

American soldiers in Afghanistan often build strong bonds with their
Afghan partners. In fact, it is common for American servicemembers to
personally sponsor SIV applications. That said, there is a lengthy
backlog

of applications awaiting approval, and many applicants wait for years
for a decision. While President Biden has ordered a review

of the SIV program, we must act quickly to address this backlog in
advance of the scheduled troop withdrawal

in September, when thousands more of our Afghan allies will be at risk.

We urge President Biden and Congress to work together to honor the
promises made to our Afghan partners. In doing so, we not only
demonstrate our humanitarian leadership, but also send a clear message
to the world that the United States stands with its allies.

Stay healthy and hopeful,

Adam

**Adam Estle**
Vice President of Field and Constituencies
National Immigration Forum 

P.S. I hope some of you were able to join the conversation today on
"Immigrants and the American Future" with President George W. Bush, Dr.
Russell Moore, and Dr. Yuval Levin. If you missed it (or want to watch
again or share), you can check out the video recording here
!
We're so grateful for President Bush's new book "Out of Many, One"

and his advocacy for more compassion toward immigrants and refugees.

P.P.S. In case you missed it, my Forum colleagues Kathleen Gillen and
Danilo Zak hosted a great Facebook live last Friday, reviewing some of
the immigration activities of the first 100 days of the Biden campaign.
Check it out here
!

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**NEWS CLIPS TO NOTE:**

****

**BAPTIST STANDARD:**Refugee advocates commend Biden for increased goal

**THE HILL:**It's time to show that vulnerable refugees are once again
an American priority

**WASHINGTON POST:**The Biden administration starts to unwind Trump's
border legacy

**NEW YORK TIMES:** U.S. Shows Progress in Moving Migrant Children From
Border Jails

**WASHINGTON EXAMINER:**How we can meet the challenge at the border

**NEWSWEEK:**Want to Support the Police? Push for Immigration Reform

 

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