FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 13, 2022

San Diego City Council Votes to Endorse Afghan Adjustment Act, Urge Congressional Approval

Act Also Endorsed by Bipartisan Group Including County Supervisor, State Assemblymember and Congressman; Bill to Provide Afghan Allies Path to U.S. Citizenship

San Diego – City of San Diego leaders today voted to approve a resolution supporting the bipartisan Afghan Adjustment Act. The bill, introduced in Congress on August 8, will enable newly arrived Afghans to go through the immigration process, undergo a robust vetting with all necessary security reviews, and have a path forward to lawful permanent residency here in the United States. The news conference announcing the resolution can be viewed here.

“San Diego is currently home to over 2,000 Afghan refugees, who were evacuated to the United States last year. The work being done by AfghanEvac to pass the Afghan Adjustment Act is critical, ensuring that thousands of Afghan refugees aren’t displaced and have the opportunity to pursue legal status here,” said Councilmember Raul Campillo. “The passage of the Afghan Adjustment Act will allow those who served alongside the U.S. to begin to rebuild their lives without the uncertainty of temporary status.”

Councilmember Campillo and Councilmember Marni von Wilpert co-authored the resolution.

“We have a moral responsibility to keep the promise we made to our Afghan allies who fought alongside our country to protect our national security,” said Councilmember von Wilpert. “Congress must act to pass the bipartisan Afghan Adjustment Act to give our Afghan allies already here a stable path forward and support for those still left behind.” 

The Afghan Adjustment Act, known in the House as H.R. 8685 and in the Senate as S. 4787, would mirror efforts made by the U.S. government for Vietnamese and South Asian refugees following the fall of Saigon. 

The bipartisan bill gained endorsements on Friday from Republican and Democratic officials representing the San Diego region.

“East County, where I represent, is home to a diverse population including many Afghan immigrants and refugees. While San Diego County may be a temporary stop for some, for others—it’s their new home, and we should do everything we can to make their transition to permanent residency as smooth as possible,” said County Supervisor Joel Anderson. “That’s why I supported the County’s efforts to create an Afghan Task Force to help welcome them into our communities, and even wrote a letter to President Biden advocating for more funding to address their unique needs. And that’s why I am proud to support the Afghan Adjustment Act that gives Afghan refugees an easier path towards making San Diego their permanent home.”

 "California’s longstanding values of inclusion and diversity has given thousands of Afghan refugees a place in our state to call home — a place where they can feel safe and work toward a better way of life. ," said Assemblymember Chris Ward (D-San Diego). "Last year, I worked with my colleagues to ensure there is support for Afghans building a new life here. I am proud to be part of a Legislature that continues to welcome our new neighbors now, and for many years to come, with open arms."

“U.S. service members who made it home are carrying injuries that we may not see, but

they certainly feel, such as their anguish over the safety and status of the Afghan partners who fought alongside them and aided them as they sought to navigate an unfamiliar language, geography, and culture,” said Rep. Scott Peters (D-San Diego). “They did so with the promise that the U.S. would do everything it could to keep them safe. This is why we need the Afghan Adjustment Act.”

 As a result of the U.S.’s hurried evacuation from Afghanistan, the vast majority of Afghan evacuees were admitted to the country on a temporary basis under “humanitarian parole,” which does not confer a direct pathway to lawful permanent residence.

 In order to provide such a pathway, as the U.S. has previously done for every generation of modern wartime evacuees, the Afghan Adjustment Act would allow eligible Afghan evacuees to apply for lawful permanent residence in the U.S. after one or two years of physical presence in the country.

“There’s nothing more San Diego than supporting veterans and helping refugees, and the Afghan Adjustment Act accomplishes both. San Diego is joining a chorus of Americans who speaking out in support of this bipartisan bill, and we hope Congress is listening,” said Shawn VanDiver, Navy veteran and founder of #AfghanEvac. “Our Afghan allies are already here, and now the question is whether or not we recognize what they did for our country by passing this bill so they can live the American dream. I know many Afghans who have come to San Diego since the fall of Kabul a year ago, and this support is telling them that they matter.” 

In an open letter sent to government leaders last month, #AfghanEvac asked elected officials around the nation to take three simple actions to make sure Americans do not forget the sacrifices made in Afghanistan, and to help Afghans allies displaced by the regime change who are still looking for a permanent home. One of those actions is passing a resolution calling on Congress to pass the Afghan Adjustment Act. 

 More information about the contents of the Afghan Adjustment Act are available online at afghanevac.org/policy/#aaa. Local and state leaders can get involved at afghanevac.org/state-and-local-signup.

The more than 200 organizations that make up the non-partisan #AfghanEvac coalition work hand-in-hand with government entities and advocate for ways to provide new Afghan community members with the stability they need to resettle and thrive in their new lives here. 

For twenty years, Afghan allies worked and fought side-by-side with U.S. and allied forces through the longest war in American history. The #AfghanEvac coalition is committed to ensuring that their service, partnership, and commitment to American ideals is honored. 

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