Communities welcoming Afghan refugees need support from Congress.
 ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

 

 

 

**B Stands for Biometrics**

Good afternoon,

This week, the Biden administration announced that an initial group of
37,000 Afghans will soon be resettled

across the country. While some of our Afghan allies are entering the
United States through the Special Immigrant Visa

(SIV) program, others are entering with humanitarian parole

- a status that does not provide the recipient with refugee services
or benefits. As communities across 46 states

prepare to welcome vulnerable Afghans, it is critical for Congress to
back these efforts and ensure that (1) parolees are authorized to
receive full resettlement benefits and services, and (2) communities
have the resources they need to resettle these refugees safely and
successfully into their new homes.

One potential barrier to achieving this support from Congress is ongoing
disinformation regarding the lack of vetting of Afghans evacuees. In
reality, they undergo extensive security vetting

before entering the United States - a process that employs resources
from the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Defense, the
Office of the Director of National Intelligence, the Department of State
and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. These vetting procedures have
been honed since the 9/11 attacks.

Today, Afghan evacuees are only permitted to enter the United States if
they pass extensive biographical and biometric checks (such as facial
recognition and fingerprint screenings). This information is also
checked against the Terrorist Screening Database, and other criminal
record databases. These robust vetting procedures

ensure and enhance our national security.

Welcoming vulnerable Afghans

-and providing them with the social services and community supports to
succeed - will help stem the underlying causes of extremism and
radicalization both at home and abroad. Join us in urging Congress
to provide essential services to Afghan
refugees and local communities. Providing a safe haven to our allies is
not just a humanitarian benefit - it is a national security
imperative.

Stay healthy and hopeful,

Adam

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

P. S. In case you missed it, last week we hosted a webinar
on what
it's like for Dreamers, TPS holders and farmworkers to live in the U.S.
without permanent status and what Congress can do to provide them with
pathways forward.

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NEWS CLIPS TO NOTE:
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**WFAE:**Polish Immigrant Uses Her Life Experience To Support Other
Immigrants In Charlotte

**BLOOMBERG:**House Panel Backs Legal Path for Some Undocumented
Immigrants

**ASSOCIATED PRESS:**Appeals court sides with Biden's deportation
priorities

**WASHINGTON POST:**U.S. will require most new immigrants to get
coronavirus vaccine

**USA TODAY:**Analysis: Proposed Texas-Mexico border wall draped in
legal, ethical concerns and politics

 

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