Dear [Member of Congress],
I am writing to express my strong support for the Afghan Adjustment Act (S.2327 and HR 4627). This bicameral, bipartisan act would provide a pathway to permanent residency for Afghans who have been granted humanitarian parole in the United States. It also creates pathways for continued relocation for those who’ve been left behind. This act will fulfill the promises our country made to tens of thousands of Afghans who supported our mission in Afghanistan by providing them with a safe haven where they can rebuild their lives and continue to contribute to our country.
The Afghan Adjustment Act would accomplish this goal by:
● Allowing Afghans on temporary humanitarian status in the U.S. to complete additional security vetting and in-person interviews and to apply for permanent lawful status.
● Establishing an Interagency Task Force, led by the U.S. Department of State, charged with creating and implementing a strategy to continue the relocation and resettlement of eligible Afghans over the next ten years.
Congress has passed similar legislation at the conclusion of several U.S.-involved conflicts or humanitarian crises in the past. Noteworthy historical examples followed Fidel Castro’s rise to power in Cuba, America’s withdrawal from Vietnam, and both U.S. military actions in Iraq. After these conflicts, Congress passed adjustment acts that granted Cubans, people from Southeast Asia, and Iraqis the opportunity to achieve lawful permanent resident status.
Time after time, America has done the right thing and provided a pathway to permanent legal status to those who were brought to the United States as part of wartime evacuations. Congress must do that again -- this time for Afghans.
Respectfully,
- Richard MacIntyre and Dan Baker like this.
