Just ahead of the one-year anniversary of the fall of Kabul, prominent evangelical leaders sent a letter to Congress on Wednesday, urging members to pass legislation that would allow Afghans who were evacuated and paroled into the U.S. to apply for permanent legal status, like the bipartisan Afghan Adjustment Act. The Evangelical Immigration Table’s full statement can be found here.
Also calling on Congress to pass the Afghan Adjustment Act? Council on National Security and Immigration (CNSI) Leader and Afghanistan veteran Rick "Ozzie" Nelson:
"... In addition to many proving their commitment on the battlefield, all have undergone a diligent vetting process, including biometric and biographic checks, prior to arrival in the United States. Arguably, no cohort of parolees has risked so much and been vetted so rigorously," writes Nelson. "... Providing Afghan evacuees with a path to legal permanent residence in the U.S. is undeniably the right and just response to honor the sacrifices of these individuals and their families."
Want to learn more about how the legislation could help Afghan evacuees? Our Forum policy expert Danilo Zak spoke to Alisa Reznick of KJZZ’s Fronteras Desk.
On Afghan welcome:
- For Sue Corl, founder and director of Crown of Beauty International ministry in Philadelphia, draws on her experience living abroad to highlight the importance of welcoming the stranger, including our new Afghan neighbors.
- In Colorado, Factory Fashion studio is partnering with refugee organizations to provide tailoring jobs to Afghan evacuees, reports Sonia Gutierrez for Rocky Mountain PBS.
Welcome to Thursday’s edition of The Forum Daily. I’m Becka Wall, the Forum’s digital communications VP. We’re pausing the Daily on Fridays this month, so we’ll be back Monday. If you have a story to share from your own community, please send it to me at [email protected].
- On ending the Migrant Protection Protocols program: "The Department of Homeland Security is rightly taking steps to end this fatally flawed policy," Eleanor Acer, senior director for refugee protection at Human Rights First, told Border Report’s Sandra Sanchez. "... Any attempt to force the continuation of this failed policy must be rejected for what it is: irresponsible political theater that endangers the lives of people seeking refuge." For more on the impact of ending the "Remain in Mexico" policy, see Jeff Brumley’s piece for Baptist News Global.
- On Wednesday, Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Arizona) visited The Arizona Republic.
- For Law360, Marco Poggio sheds light on the stories of trauma and burnout immigration attorneys experience. "It wasn’t the individual stories of persecution and horror. It was the fact that they’re working within this
dysfunctional system that they perceived to be unfair, and sometimes they also felt complicit in that system and all the problematic aspects of it," said Lindsay M. Harris, a professor at the University of the District of Columbia's David A. Clarke School of Law. A reminder to please take care of your mental health, and step away if needed.
- Imam Khalid Latif, the
University Chaplain for New York University and Executive Director of the Islamic Center at NYU, offers reflections and prayers for the four Muslim men who were murdered in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
- Jewish Family and Children’s Services Pittsburgh, and its Immigration Legal Services, are providing pro bono assistance to immigrants and refugees, helping them apply for visas, green cards, or permanent status to stay in the U.S., reports David Rullo for the Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle.
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