Explainers
Complicated policy. Clear consequences.
Clear, factual explainers on the U.S. policy affecting Afghan allies, for journalists, congressional staff, advocates, veterans, and the Afghans living it.
America made commitments. Policy choices determine whether we keep them.
Last updated October 13, 2026
New and updated
- Refugee termination ruleOct 13 · new: DHS cuts the response window from 30 days to 10, effective Oct 14; comments due Nov 13
- One Big Beautiful BillOct 13 · Medicaid ended Oct 1; marketplace credits end for 2027, open enrollment Nov 1 to Jan 15
- Afghanistan TPS ActOct 13 · tell your representative to sign the discharge petition
- Case GuideOct 11 · parole canceled, I-730s moving under A.A. v. State
- Know Your Rights presentationOct 19 · Dari and Pashto recordings now posted alongside English
- AfghanEvac Counsel CorpsOct 10 · announced; attorneys can request training
- COM withdrawal explainerOct 2026 · new
- Report intelOct 2026 · new way to share notices and scams
- Travel banOct 4 · Fourth Circuit refuses to pause A.A. v. State
The Unfinished Mission
Our flagship special report, the full record of America's promise to Afghan allies from 2009 to 2026, and what must happen now. Free for anyone to read.
Want the full record?
Looking for the underlying documents and court filings behind these explainers? Our special reports, government source documents, litigation tracker, and case law all live on The Ledger, AfghanEvac's public record.
Start with your situation
Tell us who you are. We will point you to the right few pages.
Most people need a handful of these, not all of them. Pick the card that fits, read in order, and use the button to see everything written for you.
I am an Afghan ally, or I am helping one
You or a family member has a case, a date, or a letter.
- Find your case in the Case GuideWho holds it, what is holding it up, what to do now.
- Watch Know Your RightsEnglish, Dari, and Pashto. Your rights at home, at check-ins, in court.
- Ask for a Battle BuddyA veteran goes with you to the hearing or appointment. Free.
- Got a notice or a scam call? Tell usOur expert team reads every one.
- Back the Afghanistan TPS ActThe bill that would restore TPS and work permits. Ask your representative to sign the discharge petition.
I am an attorney or accredited representative
You need the rulings, the rules, and the Afghan-specific traps.
- Refugee termination: 10 days to respondNew IFR effective Oct 14. NOIT clock, who is covered, comment deadline Nov 13.
- Case GuideThe status map your clients are reading.
- Counsel annex on A-Q-R-K-Issue-spotting after the AG decision.
- COM withdrawals and the travel banIncluding the A.A. v. State carve-out for asylee families.
- Join the Counsel CorpsTraining on removal defense, habeas, asylum, and Afghan case types. Free.
I am a reporter
You need the number, the document, and the person who can speak to it.
- Correct the Record and CAS factsThe podium claims and what the record shows.
- The BarriersEverything standing between allies and safety, on one page.
- The PollingBipartisan national survey on keeping our word.
- The LedgerSource documents, court filings, special reports.
I work on the Hill, or I am an advocate
You need what the bills do and where the fight is this month.
- The policy agendaWhat we are asking for, and from whom.
- The Afghanistan TPS Act and the Fly-In, November 9 to 11The most likely bill to move, and how to help it in person.
- The 2027 NDAAWhat is in it for Afghan allies, and what is missing.
- Executive action trackerEvery order and memo since January 2025.
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The essentials
New to this? Start here for the lay of the land.
Case Guide: where does your case stand?
SIV, refugee, asylum, parole, family, and border cases, each with who holds it, what is holding it up, and what to do now. Start here if you have a case.
Find your case → Updated October 11, 2026Know Your Rights
The October 10, 2026 national presentation, recorded in English, Dari, and Pashto, plus the slides and handout. Your rights at home, at check-ins, in court, and if someone is detained.
Watch and read → October 10, 2026How we got here
The full history in four eras: the promise, the airlift, Enduring Welcome, and the shutdown. The context behind every explainer here.
See the history →AfghanEvac Issues Primer
The essential overview of where things stand for Afghan allies, and what is at stake.
Read the explainer →Family Reunification
How families separated during and after the evacuation can be brought back together.
Read the explainer →Enduring Welcome Manifest Eligibility
Who was eligible for an Enduring Welcome relocation manifest, before the program was dismantled.
Read the explainer →Vetting
How Afghan allies are screened, and why the process is rigorous, layered, and continuous.
Read the explainer →Travel Ban
What the travel proclamation does, and how it affects Afghan allies, including issuance cut to near zero.
Read the explainer →SIV Current State
Where the Special Immigrant Visa program stands right now.
Read the explainer →The Barriers
Everything standing between our allies and safety, from frozen pathways and revoked protections to detention and deportation.
See the barriers →The Polling
What Americans really think about keeping our word to Afghan allies. A bipartisan national survey, and support that jumps once voters learn the facts.
See the polling →Policy
Rules, regulations, and proposals
What each policy change does, and what it means for Afghans, in plain language.
The Pocket Rescission
How a pocket rescission withholds $567 million in refugee and resettlement funding until it lapses, mapped district by district.
Read the explainer → Updated September 2026The One Big Beautiful Bill and Afghan Allies
What the law cut, when each cut hits, and what to do now: Medicaid ended October 1, marketplace tax credits end with 2027 coverage, and open enrollment runs November 1 to January 15. State by state, with links to NILC’s Medicaid and ACA explainers.
Read the explainer → Updated October 13, 2026The One Big Beautiful Bill: New England Guide
A New England companion covering how the One Big Beautiful Bill affects Afghan allies across all six states.
Read the explainer → Updated September 2026The UK Afghan Data Breach Report
What Parliament's Defence Committee found (HC 69) on the MOD breach that exposed more than 18,500 applications, the two-year superinjunction, and the 884 overturned Triples decisions, and why it has no effect on U.S. cases.
Read the explainer → Updated July 30, 2026Public Charge Rescission
DHS is rescinding the 2022 public charge rule and restoring broad officer discretion over who is 'likely to become a public charge.' What changes, what does not, and why most Afghans stay exempt.
Read the explainer → Updated July 27, 2026Asylum Referrals Without Interview
A new DHS interim final rule lets USCIS send affirmative asylum applicants to immigration court without an interview. What it changes, and why the one-year deadline puts Afghans at risk.
Read the explainer → Updated July 27, 2026Board of Immigration Appeals Regulation Changes
What the BIA rule changes, and why it matters for Afghans in the system.
Read the explainer →DHS Changes to Refugee Protections on Arrival
The proposed changes to the protections refugees receive when they arrive.
Read the explainer →ICE / USCIS Rescission of the Chamorro Memo
What the rescission changes for the Afghans it affects.
Read the explainer →EAD Rule Changes for Asylum Seekers
Proposed changes to the Employment Authorization Document process for asylum seekers.
Read the explainer →EAD Rule Changes (June 2026)
The June 2026 proposed changes to Employment Authorization Documents.
Read the explainer →Work Authorization
Which immigration statuses come with the right to work, which require a separate application, and the misconceptions that get Afghans wrongly denied a job.
Read the explainer →Heritage Foundation Report Rebuttal
Our point-by-point response to the Heritage Foundation's report.
Read the explainer →Fact Sheet: FY 2027 White House Budget Proposal
What the FY2027 budget proposal would mean for the programs Afghan allies rely on.
Read the explainer →Asylum Fee Rule Explainer
What the asylum fee rule changes, and who it affects.
Read the explainer →Refugee Termination: 10 Days to Respond
The DHS interim final rule, effective October 14, 2026, that cuts the time a refugee has to answer a Notice of Intent to Terminate from 30 days to 10. Who it reaches, who it does not, and how to comment by November 13.
Read the explainer → Updated October 13, 2026Public Charge Returns to the Visa Window
The September 21 State Department guidance that applies a public charge worksheet to immigrant visas, names SIVs, and why SIVs are exempt by law.
Read the explainer → Updated September 22, 2026Executive Action Tracker
Every executive order, proclamation, and agency memo since January 2025 that dismantled the promise to Afghan allies, in one timeline.
Open the tracker → Updated September 22, 2026USCIS Adjustment of Status Memo (PM-602-0199)
What the May 21, 2026 policy memo changed for Afghans adjusting status inside the United States.
Read the explainer → May 2026The End of CARE
What eliminating the Coordinator for Afghan Relocation Efforts means, and what it does not.
Read the explainer →The One Big Beautiful Bill: Arizona
A regional companion covering how the One Big Beautiful Bill affects Afghan allies in Arizona, with the state and local programs that fill the gap.
Read the explainer → Updated October 4, 2026The One Big Beautiful Bill: California
A regional companion covering how the One Big Beautiful Bill affects Afghan allies in California, with the state and local programs that fill the gap.
Read the explainer → Updated October 4, 2026The One Big Beautiful Bill: the Carolinas
A regional companion covering how the One Big Beautiful Bill affects Afghan allies in the Carolinas, with the state and local programs that fill the gap.
Read the explainer → Updated October 4, 2026The One Big Beautiful Bill: DC, Maryland, and Virginia
A regional companion covering how the One Big Beautiful Bill affects Afghan allies in DC, Maryland, and Virginia, with the state and local programs that fill the gap.
Read the explainer → Updated October 4, 2026The One Big Beautiful Bill: Georgia
A regional companion covering how the One Big Beautiful Bill affects Afghan allies in Georgia, with the state and local programs that fill the gap.
Read the explainer → Updated October 4, 2026The One Big Beautiful Bill: the Mountain West
A regional companion covering how the One Big Beautiful Bill affects Afghan allies in the Mountain West, with the state and local programs that fill the gap.
Read the explainer → Updated October 4, 2026The One Big Beautiful Bill: New York
A regional companion covering how the One Big Beautiful Bill affects Afghan allies in New York, with the state and local programs that fill the gap.
Read the explainer → Updated October 4, 2026The One Big Beautiful Bill: the Pacific Northwest
A regional companion covering how the One Big Beautiful Bill affects Afghan allies in the Pacific Northwest, with the state and local programs that fill the gap.
Read the explainer → Updated October 4, 2026The One Big Beautiful Bill: Texas
A regional companion covering how the One Big Beautiful Bill affects Afghan allies in Texas, with the state and local programs that fill the gap.
Read the explainer → Updated October 4, 2026Litigation
The court rulings
What the courts have and have not changed for Afghan allies, and what each ruling actually means.
CLINIC v. Rubio
What the 75-country visa ruling does and does not do. The court vacated the public charge visa pause, but the separate travel ban that bars most Afghans remains fully in force.
Read the explainer → Updated August 22, 2026Dorcas v. USCIS
What the Dorcas ruling did. The court vacated four USCIS policies that had frozen benefits and cases for Afghans and others, while entry and issuance restrictions stayed in place.
Read the explainer →Matter of A-Q-R-K-
The Attorney General made one Afghan asylum credibility decision binding on immigration judges nationwide. What it does, what it does not do, and where it stands. A companion counsel annex is available for attorneys.
Read the explainer → Updated September 2, 2026Counsel Annex: Matter of A-Q-R-K-
An issue-spotting companion for attorneys and accredited representatives handling Afghan asylum cases after the Attorney General made the decision binding.
Read the annex → September 2, 2026"Mega-Master" Immigration Court Hearings
Why immigration courts began scheduling hundreds of respondents into single master calendar hearings in 2026, and what it means for your date.
Read the explainer → Updated 2026AfghanEvac Amicus Brief at the Supreme Court
Why we joined an amicus brief urging the Court to hold that America’s word should not expire on a filing deadline.
Read the explainer →Pathways
Program status
Where the key pathways stand right now.
COM Withdrawal of Support
What a Chief of Mission withdrawal means for SIV holders, the 120-day appeal, and the path if the appeal is denied.
Read the explainer → October 2026SIV Current State
Where the Special Immigrant Visa program stands right now.
Read the explainer →SIV Wind-Down Plan
The plan to wind down the SIV program, explained.
Read the explainer →Fact sheets
Setting the record straight
The facts on specific incidents, against the disinformation.
Correct the Record: Camp As Sayliyah
What a State Department spokesperson said from the podium on August 31, 2026 about the Afghans at Camp As Sayliyah, and what the record shows.
Read the explainer → Updated September 8, 2026Camp As Sayliyah: the facts
The core figures on who is at the camp in Qatar, how long they have waited, and what it costs, for reporters and staff.
Read the explainer → Updated August 31, 2026What the DHS Inspector General Found in Afghan Asylum Files
The real findings of the DHS OIG report, past the 40 percent headline: no case of missed derogatory information, and faster processing did not increase errors.
Read the explainer → Updated September 29, 2026DC Shooting
The facts on the DC shooting, set against the disinformation.
Read the explainer →Death of Mohammad Nazeer Paktyawal in ICE Custody
What we know about his death in ICE custody.
Read the explainer →Regional
Where people are waiting
The situation on the ground in the places Afghans are stuck.
Legislative analysis
We read the bills
What the legislation actually does for Afghan allies.
The Afghanistan TPS Act
What H.R. 9899 does, section by section, where the discharge petition stands, and a two-minute tool to tell your representative to sign it.
Read and take action → Updated October 13, 2026The Afghan Adjustment Act
What the Afghan Adjustment Act (H.R. 4895) and its Senate companion, the Fulfilling Promises to Afghan Allies Act (S. 2679), would do, and how the two bills differ.
Read the explainer → Updated July 27, 2026H.R. 9773, the Permanent Trump Secure Border Act
A provision-by-provision account of the border bill that would narrow parole and asylum with no Afghanistan carve-out, and the fixes Congress should make.
Read the explainer → Updated July 27, 2026Enduring Welcome Act
Our priority bill to make the relocation enterprise permanent, section by section, and how its core provision was stripped from the FY2026 NDAA.
Read the explainer → Updated July 27, 2026The ARCH Act
What the ARCH Act (S. 5375) does to verify and preserve the service records of at-risk Afghan allies, and how it pairs with Section 1080 of the FY2027 NDAA.
Read the explainer →How the Afghan Adjustment Act and Enduring Welcome Act Work Together
How these two bills were designed to complement each other.
Open the document → Opens Google Drive2027 National Defense Authorization Act
Our analysis of the Afghan provisions in the FY2027 defense bill.
Read the explainer →House Freedom Caucus 2026 Agenda
What the House Freedom Caucus 2026 agenda proposes.
Open the document → Opens Google DriveThe primary sources
The documents, court filings, and government reports behind these explainers live on The Ledger, AfghanEvac's public record. Litigation explainers link to the live litigation tracker; policy explainers link to the government source documents and case law.
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Request an explainer Get our weekly updatesEducational reference only, not legal advice. These explainers are provided for general educational purposes. Immigration law is complex, country-specific, and changes without warning. Nothing here creates an attorney-client relationship. If you or someone you know needs help with an active case, consult a qualified immigration attorney or contact AfghanEvac.