Our Country Must Not Abandon Its Afghan Allies
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B Stands for Bureaucratic Limbo
Good afternoon, 

Nearly one year ago, on August 15, 2021, Taliban took over Kabul, the
capital of Afghanistan, as the United States completed its military
withdrawal from the country. The fall of the elected Afghan government,
which had been supported by the U.S. for two decades, has led to a
massive human tragedy, refugee crisis, and overwhelming uncertainty.  

Our allies were left alone to face the brutality of the Taliban and
remnants of al-Qaeda. And a majority of those fortunate enough to make
it to the United States live in bureaucratic limbo. The Biden
Administration evacuated more than 124,000

Afghans; parents, children, and elderly. They have resettled here, yet
they still fear an unknown future. Many of our allies are here on
humanitarian parole or Temporary Protected Status (TPS
),
neither of which provides a permanent path to legal status.
Additionally, a heavily backlogged system means the opportunities for
asylum and work permit applications are limited. 

In a step toward providing these Afghans some certainty, this week
Democrats and Republicans introduced bipartisan, bicameral legislation
,
known as the Afghan Adjustment Act
,
which would allow Afghans in the U.S. to apply for permanent legal
status.  

Council on Nation Security and Immigration (CNSI) leader and Afghanistan
veteran, Rick "Ozzie" Nelson argues

that failing to address the uncertainty these allies and evacuees face
could harm America's national security. Passing an Afghan Adjustment
Act would provide a stable future for our allies and demonstrate to the
world that our nation does not abandon its friends. 

[link removed] Join the Forum's
Facebook Live discussion on August 15th. Click on the image to register!

Similar adjustment acts have passed before and were successful
,
including the 1960s Cuban Adjustment Act and various post-Vietnam War
adjustments for people from Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia.  

Failing to pass

the Afghan Adjustment Act will place further pressure on United States
Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and the immigration court
system, including growing backlogs for asylum and work permit
applications, leading to negative impacts across the immigration system
as a whole.  

As communities across the U.S.

continue to welcome Afghan evacuees with open arms, Congress must act to
secure these allies' future. Join us in
urging Congress to give our resettled Afghan friends and their families
a clear path to permanency. Without it, they could face a return to
certain dangers in Afghanistan. For more on what is in the recent
legislation and how Congress can secure the futures of Afghan evacuees
in the U.S., join our Facebook live
on Monday, August 15
at 3:00 PM EDT to hear from top experts on this issue. 

Stay healthy and hopeful, 

Oula Alrifai 

Oula Alrifai 
Assistant Vice President of Field and Constituencies 
National Immigration Forum  

 
NEWS CLIPS TO NOTE:  

FOREIGN POLICY: Afghans Promised a Way Out Are Still Trapped by Red Tape
 

LAW360: Bipartisan Bill Offers US' Afghan Allies A Path To Residency
 

TIME: 'War Is Betrayal.' Coming to Terms With America's Disastrous
Departure from Afghanistan
 

FOX NEWS: Bipartisan bill would give pathway to citizenship to Afghan
evacuees
 

THE CHRISTIAN POST: One Year Later: Serving Afghan Refugees
 

 

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