Policy Goals


AfghanEvac is not a policy or advocacy organization, but due to the nature of our work we have occasion to observe areas that impede or prevent forward progress for the efforts of our coalition members.

All of the recommendations below fall under one or more of our focus areas of reducing uncertainty, increasing throughput, and maintaining urgency.

Here you can find a list of our policy goals & position papers, including our Open Letter to the Biden Administration.

 

Our Policy Goals

This is an overview of desired policy and operational changes recommended by #AfghanEvac coalition members.

Use the drop menus in this section to explore policy issues by area of government. Policy issues that have been implemented are indicated with a checkmark (☑️).

This list is not comprehensive and may change over time.

 
  • ☑️ Appoint Special Assistant to the President with tasking authority focused on relocation and resettlement efforts

    ☑️ Nominate Ambassador to Qatar

    ☑️ Support Afghan Adjustment Act (AAA) and other relevant legislation

    ☑️ Public acknowledgement of work remaining, private efforts

  • ☑️ Develop and communicate end-to-end, risk based multi-year plan, with redundancy

    ☑️ Approve relocation of high-risk USRAP P1/P2 referrals

    ☑️ Direct the establishment of additional processing sites to increase capacity and throughput

    ☑️ Mandate and oversee audit of all communications to and about Afghans across the interagency to ensure alignment and consistency

    + Increase intended throughput to 5000/month

    + Approve relocation of HP recipients

    + Direct establishment of transparent denials process

  • ☑️ Approve use of Ariana and/or Kam Airlines

    ☑️ Offer education and cultural integration courses at lily pads

    ☑️ Establish the Coordinator for Afghan Relocation Efforts (CARE) as a permanent part of the Department’s structure

    ☑️ Streamline SIV applications to remove 19-page, redundant I-360 requirement

    ☑️ Establish family reunification mechanism for Afghans separated due to the NEO

    ☑️ Begin USRAP processing for qualified P1/P2 referred Afghans still in Afghanistan

    ☑️ Establish at least two additional refugee / visa processing sites (platforms) to add appropriate capacity

    ☑️ Scale-up Pre-Travel processing capability to increase throughput and case reliability

    ☑️ Align all communications to and about Afghans to ensure maximum transparency and proactive, consistent messaging

    + Make more transparent the Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) Chief of Mission (COM) approval process

    + Build and distribute pre-relocation information for all travelers

    + Establish Diplomatic and Consular presence in Kabul

    + Authorize virtual/remote visa interviews

    + Extend PRM Housing on Demand beyond 90 days

    + Integrate data with ORR to provide maximum lead-time on destinations and more complete data on travelers

    + Establish full-scale integration across all datasets related to vulnerable people to reduce operational lag

    + Authorize DHS / USCIS as a referring agency for USRAP

    + Release relocation process map

  • ☑️ Maintain option of (limited) Port Parole

    ☑️ Establish exemptions to TRIG policy that reflect the nuances of reality and allow otherwise eligible vulnerable allies pathways to the U.S.

    ☑️ Work with State Department to remove redundant I-360 requirement in SIV application

    ☑️ Increase vetting personnel at CAS with longer-term deployments

    ☑️ Eliminate all fees for immigration forms / processing related to Afghan allies

    ☑️ Scale-up refugee processing (circuit rides)

    + Improve inter-agency HP-IV communications

    + Revise HP denial letters

    + Publish transparent policy on HP qualification

    + Refund HP fees

    + Expedite I-360 SIV adjudications for SIV applicants known to be in third-country locations (e.g., CAS, EHC, Islamabad, Tirana, etc.)

    + Process and adjudicate all outstanding Humanitarian Parole applications

  • ☑️ Continue inter-agency pressure for specific P1 relocation exceptions

    ☑️ Allow use of DoD installation(s) overseas to act as a temporary processing site while diplomatic efforts work to establish long-term civilian sites

    ☑️ Establish public website for servicemembers to get information about family reunification

    + Assign O5 or above liaisons to aid service members who have family remaining in Afghanistan

    + Compel other agencies to use, and all contractors to participate in Project Rabbit

    + Develop plan for integration of Afghan veterans into US Military

  • ☑️ Establish General Licenses that allow for humanitarian organizations to operate without violating sanctions

  • ☑️ Implement federally-funded, locally-administered mental health access for Afghans

    ☑️ Implement federally-funded, locally-administered legal services program for Afghans in need of support

    + Include funding for Dari and Pashto in budget requests for 988 suicide and crisis contact center

  • ☑️ Introduce legislation including the adjustment of status for Afghans in the United States on temporary immigration status (Parole)

    + Increase the SIV cap in 2024 by at least 10,000

    + Adequately fund all federal agencies involved in Afghan relocation efforts

    + Expand the SIV program to include a more complete representation of those who are now at risk because they stood with the U.S. during our 20 year conflict

    + Recognize the impact that volunteers all across the U.S. and the world had on the withdrawal and subsequent relocation effort

  • + Pass a resolution supporting congressional action on adjustment of status

    + Provide adequate job training and placement for refugee populations

    + Provide supplemental funding to resettlement agencies to better reflect the reality of local nuance and challenges

    + Provide robust services and support in Dari, Pashto, Farsi, and other languages relevant to local immigrant populations

    + Recognize the impact that volunteers all across the U.S. and the world had on the withdrawal and subsequent relocation effort

    + Establish a peer support program for volunteers (veterans and otherwise) and new arrivals in your region

    + Check in with local resettlement agencies and the Afghan community in your area — Ask what they need and lift up their voices

    + Officially recognize constituents who volunteered or played a role in aiding Afghan allies during and following the fall of Kabul


The Afghan Adjustment Act

Following the U.S. military withdrawal from Afghanistan, tens of thousands of Afghan allies have been welcomed into the United States via humanitarian parole.

Under humanitarian parole, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) can allow people under threat to enter the U.S., but typically only for one or two years. Unlike immigrant visa or refugee programs, humanitarian parole is a temporary allowance and not a pathway to permanent status.

This is not what America stands for. We must welcome and support Afghan allies who have arrived as our new neighbors and help them thrive. The Afghan Adjustment act will help relocated Afghan allies become permanent residents.

 

Learn about the Afghan Adjustment Act:

  • During the chaotic U.S. military withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021, the Biden administration, under the legal framework of Operation Allies Welcome, relocated tens of thousands of Afghans into the United States via humanitarian parole.

    Individuals who enter the U.S. through humanitarian parole find themselves under a cloud of legal uncertainty, and with fewer opportunities than if they entered as Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) holders or as refugees through the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP).

  • The Afghan Adjustment Act (AAA) would cover Afghans who entered the United States as a result of the Taliban take over in August 2021.

    Virtually all Afghans who arrive via humanitarian parole would otherwise be categorized as a refugee or eligible for SIV and had they been admitted through the normal process, would have been eligible for lawful permanent resident status.

    However, given the nature of the rapid evacuation, parolees were unable to access the USRAP or SIV pipelines, and many were forced to destroy identifying information that would’ve aided an application for asylum.

    The AAA puts our new Afghan neighbors on the same legal footing as people admitted through the U.S. resettlement program while still protecting the security of the United States.

  • The United States has done adjustment acts before - this is not new.

    Following several past U.S.-involved conflicts or humanitarian crises – the Cuban Revolution, America’s withdrawal from Vietnam, and U.S. military actions in Iraq – Congress passed adjustment acts that granted individuals from those countries, who had entered the U.S. as non-immigrants or parolees, the opportunity to adjust to permanent status.

    The Afghan Adjustment Act is similar, allowing Afghan refugees to apply for lawful permanent resident status, the same legal status they would have received had they been admitted as refugees.

  • The Afghan Adjustment Act protects our national security.

    While the U.S. government has conducted robust, multi-layered screening and vetting for all Afghans during the relocation process, under the AAA, additional screening would be conducted before an individual receives permanent status in the U.S.

    This screening conforms to the USRAP security check guidelines, which is the most rigorous background investigation process in the immigration system.

  • The United States’ evacuation after the fall of the elected government in Kabul in August 2021 created a situation where thousands of Afghans were brought to the U.S. without guarantee of long-term status.

    The government cannot remove them back to Afghanistan and their only other option currently is to undergo a lengthy and traumatizing asylum process. AAA allows the administration to ensure that Afghans seeking safety are not arbitrarily barred from protection due to existing law that fails to consider the perilous journey they were forced to take to arrive in the United States.

    The AAA would save these Afghans from years of legal limbo and ensure that they are properly screened and vetted to gain legal permanent residence much more quickly.

  • The SIV application is specifically designed for a small set of individuals who were employed by the U.S. government. Roughly 5% of Afghans who were brought to the U.S. through Operations Allies Welcome are SIV applicants.

    According to State Department data, another 35% of the evacuees are eligible for an SIV but have not applied - though this number is highly disputed by NGOs and advocates. This means that, at best, technical fixes to the SIV process would help fewer than half of those Afghans who have already been brought to the United States.

    Additionally, those technical fixes may only help improve processing time by a matter of weeks or months for a program that often takes up to four years.

    The Special Immigrant Visa program is a unique process that is meant to help a very specific set of people and does not address the reality that the United States has an obligation to adequately resettle and resolve the status of all parolees brought here by the U.S. government during last year’s chaotic evacuation.

  • If Congress fails to act, it will create additional strain on the already-overwhelmed asylum and immigration court systems, which, respectively, have a current affirmative asylum backlog of more than 400,000 cases, and a broader immigration backlog of 1.4 million cases.

    Without AAA, tens of thousands of recently arrived Afghans will have to find an existing immigration pathway to remain lawful once their parole expires. That will mean tens of thousands of new asylum claims to this overburdened system.

    Afghans will also face difficulties in completing asylum claims. Many were forced to destroy important documents to avoid Taliban persecution, and others had important documents destroyed by the U.S. Embassy in Kabul as the city fell.

    These complications could make asylum claims more difficult and increase the likelihood that Afghan parolees end up in already-overwhelmed immigration courts.

How to help support the Afghan Adjustment Act

 

I’m a concerned citizen
How can I help support the AAA?

You can send a message to your member of Congress (and representatives at all levels of government)asking them to welcome and support Afghans in your community by supporting an Afghan Adjustment Act.

Click here to look up your elected officials

Click here to access our template for engaging your Federal officials

 

I work in state or local government
How can I help support the AAA?

We’ve developed draft language that can be used by any state or local government body as a template for a resolution in support of the Afghan Adjustment Act.
Click here to read the draft resolution

Click here to share your resolution or proclamation with the team

If you can write an Op-Ed, do a news interview, hold a meeting with local officials, or assist with a social media push, you can help get AAA passed.
Click here to sign up to help even more

What’s in the Afghan Adjustment Act

The bipartisan Afghan Adjustment Act was first introduced in the U.S. Senate during the 117th Congress as S.4787 on August 7, 2022 by Senators Klobuchar (D-MN), Graham (R-SC), Coons (D-DE), Blunt (R-MO), Blumenthal (D-CT), and Murkowski (R-AK). It has been reintroduced in the Senate for the 118th Congress as S.2327 by Senator Klobuchar (D-MN) with 9 cosponsors (5R / 4D).

The House of Representatives introduced an identical bill (H.R.8685) on August 9th, 2022 by Representatives Blumenauer (D-OR), Meijer (R-MI), Nadler (D-NY), Kinzinger (R-IL), Lofgren (D-CA), Miller-Meeks (R-IA), Crow (D-CO), Upton (R-MI), and Peters (D-CA). It has been reintroduced in the 118th Congress as H.R.4627 by Representative Miller-Meeks (R-IA) with 23 cosponsors (11R/12D).

Status in the Senate
Reintroduced 7/13/2023 in the Senate with with 10 cosponsors (5 R / 5 D)

Status in the House
Reintroduced 7/13/2023 in the house with 24 cosponsors (12 D / 12 R)

To learn more about the Afghan Adjustment Act you can follow either bill on congress.gov

Link to S.2327

Link to H.R.4627

 

Section by Section Breakdown

  • This section contains the short title of the legislation

  • This section contains important definitions for those reading and later implementing the bill

  • Expresses sense of Congress that Afghan nationals who meet the requirements for Special Immigrant Visas (SIVs) or referral to the United States Refugee Assistance Program (USRAP) supported the U.S. mission in Afghanistan and the United States should increase support for them.

  • (a) Response to Congressional Inquiries. Requires the Department of State (DOS) to respond to Congressional inquiries about SIV applications or USRAP referrals.

    (b) Office in Lieu of Embassy. Requires the DOS to implement an office capable of reviewing visa applications and providing other consular services for Afghans as long as there is no operational embassy in Afghanistan.

  • (a) Establishment. Requires the President to establish an Interagency Task Force on Afghan Ally Strategy (“Task Force”) to develop and oversee the implementation of the strategy and report required by paragraph (d).

    (b) Membership. Establishes that the Task Force will be comprised of the Secretary of State, the Secretary of Homeland Security, the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Director of National Intelligence, or their designees, and any other officials designated by the President.

    (c) Chair. Designates the Secretary of State as the chair of the Task Force.

    (d) Duties. Establishes the duties of the task force, including to develop and oversee the implementation of a strategy for supporting Afghan nationals outside of the United States who meet the requirements for an SIV or USRAP referral. Requires the Task Force to publish a report documenting the number of Afghans with pending SIV applications or USRAP referrals; the steps the DOS has taken to facilitate relocation and resettlement; the considerations that limit the DOS’s ability to facilitate relocations and resettlements. Requires the Task Force to brief the Senate and House committees on Appropriations and Foreign Affairs.

    (e) Termination. Specifies that the Task Force will remain in effect for ten years or until the strategy has been implemented, whichever comes first.

  • (a) Defined Term. Requires applicants to be (1) citizens or nationals of Afghanistan or have last habitually resided in Afghanistan (2) who are present in the United States.

    Eligible applicants must either (1) have been inspected or admitted to the U.S. before enactment, (2) were paroled into the U.S. between July 30, 2021 and enactment, or (3) arrived in the U.S. after enactment and have been determined by Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and DOD to have directly and personally supported the U.S. mission in Afghanistan to an extent comparable to the support provided by SIVs.

    (b) Adjustment of Status. Requires the Secretary of Homeland Security to adjust the status of eligible individuals who apply and meet the requirements, and who the Secretary determines that the adjustment of status of the eligible individual is not contrary to the national interest, public safety, or national security of the United States.

    (c) Admissibility. Makes all of the admissibility requirements for refugees applicable to applicants for adjustment of status, and adds the additional requirements that any terrorism grounds and any crimes committed in the United States may not be waived.

    (d) Interview and Vetting Requirements. Requires DHS, in consultation with Department of Defense (DOD) and, as appropriate, the Department of Justice (DOJ), to establish vetting requirements for all applicants equivalent in rigor to those used in the USRAP, including an in-person interview; biometric and biographic screening to identify any derogatory information; and a review and analysis of federal government holdings, including biographic and biometric records, iris scans, fingerprints, voice biometric information, hand geometry biometrics, and other identifiable information.

    Clarifies that interviews at a port of entry do not satisfy the in-person interview requirement and requires DHS to vet applicants in a manner that ensures national security. Requires DHS, in consultation with DOD, to maintain a vetting database with information on non-priority applicants.

    (e) Record of Admission. Prioritizes those who supported the U.S. mission in Afghanistan by allowing SIVs with COM approval to have their record of admission backdated to the date that they were inspected and admitted or paroled in the United States.

    Makes other applicants’ admission date the date on which their application for adjustment of status is approved.

    (f) Deadline for Application. Establishes a deadline for application of the later of two years after final guidance implementing the bill is published or two years after an applicant becomes eligible to apply. Allows for an exception to the application deadline for extraordinary circumstances.

    (g) Prohibition on Further Authorization of Parole. Prevents an eligible applicant who does not apply for adjustment under this section from being eligible for the renewal of parole.

    (h) Employment Authorization. Allows DHS to extend employment authorization for eligible individuals under this section.

    (i) Implementation. Requires DHS to publish guidance implementing this section within 3 months of enactment, and publish final guidance within one year after enactment.

    (j) Administrative Review. Requires DHS to establish review procedures.

    (k) Prohibition on Fees. Prohibits DHS from charging certain fees.

    (l) Pending Applications. Prevents DHS from removing applicants who comply with application requirements during the pendency of their application.

    Allows DHS to pause the consideration of another application while their application for adjustment of status is pending.

    (m) Eligibility for Benefits. Allows eligible individuals to remain eligible for benefits and services to the same extent that they would be if they had been admitted to the United States as refugees.

    (n) Parents and Legal Guardians of Unaccompanied Children. Allows certain parents and legal guardians of unaccompanied minors covered by the section to adjust status under the bill.

    (o) Exemption From Numerical Limitations. Exempts those who adjust status under the Act from visa limitations.

    (p) Notification of Eligible Individuals. Requires DHS to make reasonable efforts to notify eligible individuals, including those who independently departed military bases, of the details of the program.

    (q) Reporting Requirements. Requires DHS and DOD to consult with Congress about their plan for vetting applicants 90 days after enactment and then again before accepting applications for adjustment of status.

    Requires DHS to brief Congress within one year of the application deadline on vetting under the section and any security threats posed by eligible applicants who did not submit applications. Allows members of Congress or Congressional committees to request information on the basis for the denial of an application under this section.

    (r) Rule of Construction. Prohibits section from being construed to prevent an eligible Afghan national from receiving any other immigration benefit.

    (s) Authorization for Appropriations. Authorizes $20,000,000 to be appropriated to DHS each year from 2023 to 2027 to carry out this section.

  • (a) At-risk Afghan Allies. Allows DHS or DOS to issue SIVs to previously omitted groups and their family members, including members of the special operations forces of the Afghanistan National Defense and Security Forces, the Afghanistan National Army Special Operations Command, the Afghan Air Force, or the Special Mission Wing of Afghanistan; a female member of any other entity of the Afghanistan National Defense and Security Forces; an individual associated with former Afghan military and police human intelligence activities, former Afghan military counterintelligence or with the former Afghan Ministry of Defense; and certain senior officials of the former Ministries of Defense and Interior of Afghanistan.

    Establishes requirements for background checks and security vetting for SIV applicants.

    Requires DOD to make a recommendation on eligibility based on the applicant’s service record.

    Establishes review procedures.

    (b) Special Immigrant Status for Certain Relatives of Certain Members of the Armed Forces. Allows brothers and sisters of applicants to apply for SIVs.

    (c) General Provisions. Prohibits fees from being charged, allows applicants to be represented by counsel, excludes SIVs from numerical limitations on visas, and allows DOD to determine the order that SIVs will be awarded.

    Requires the DOS to assist SIVs with approved applications to enter the United States, makes SIVs eligible for resettlement support and adjustment of status, and authorizes appropriate funds to be appropriated to DHS, DOS, DOD, and HHS to carry out the section.

  • Allows DHS and DOS to waive certain fees for Afghan applicants.

  • Makes the Act severable if a portion is deemed unconstitutional.

  • Prevents DHS from granting applications for adjustment of status or SIVs before January 1, 2024 or before implementing the required vetting procedures.


Our Open Letter to the Biden Administration

In December 2021, #AfghanEvac submitted an open letter to the Biden Administration urging our nation’s leadership to honor our promise to our Afghan allies and ensure both their safe relocation from Afghanistan and resettlement.

Over 1300 people have signed the Open Letter to date.
Click here to read the full text of the Open Letter.

 

Dear President Biden, Speaker Pelosi, Leader Schumer, Leader McCarthy, and Leader McConnell:

As the United States government continues to navigate the conclusion of its military mission in Afghanistan, we the undersigned, having seen firsthand the heartbreaking uncertainties that our Afghan allies, American citizens, lawful permanent residents, and their families face in their attempts to flee life-threatening circumstances, submit the following letter urging our country’s leadership to act. […]

Now is not the time to retreat to predictable partisan corners. This is a time to stand together, united in our shared belief that the promise of America remains worth preserving.

The Afghans who stood alongside our troops, diplomats, and other American interests in Afghanistan have been, and will forever remain, welcome in our communities…

Click here to continue reading


Our Open Letter to Pakistan

In October 2023, #AfghanEvac submitted an open letter to the Government of Pakistan urging a humanitarian approach to Afghans residing there awaiting their shot at the American dream.

Over 400 people have signed the Open Letter to date.
Click here to read the full text of the Open Letter.

 

Dear Esteemed Officials of Pakistan,

We are writing as individuals and organizations dedicated to Afghan relocation and resettlement efforts to express our deep concern over recent events in Pakistan which put the safety and security of vulnerable Afghans at great risk. Recent changes and decisions made by the Pakistani government not only impact the lives of those Afghan nationals, but also carry broader humanitarian and national, regional, and international security implications.

Pakistan was a staunch ally to the U.S. during the war in Afghanistan and has long been a sanctuary for millions of Afghan refugees. In addition, thanks to the generosity and hospitality of the people of Pakistan, the country has become home to millions more refugees from the region. While we understand and appreciate the challenges this poses, the recent government notification announcing a plan to deport Afghans is both deeply troubling and concerning. We are particularly concerned that this decision will impact Special Immigration Visa (SIV) applicants, those with referrals to the United States Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP), and Humanitarian Parole applicants, all of whom have a pending or approved pathway to legal U.S. immigration.

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Letter to State and Local Leaders

In August 2022, #AfghanEvac submitted an open letter to State and Local leaders across the nation urging they take action to show Afghans in their community they stand with them by lighting civic infrastructure, checking in with local Afghans and resettlement leaders, and by passing resolutions or proclamations calling on congress to take action.

Click here to read the full text

You can take action!

Look up your local representatives and send them our updated letter for 2023 along with a note asking them to take action.

 

Here are three ways you can help to honor the sacrifices made by our allies and show that local communities across the U.S. stand together in this cause.

●  Pass a resolution or issue a proclamation calling on Congress to pass the Afghan Adjustment Act | We’ve drafted a template for you, available on our website.

●  Check in with newly arrived Afghans and the resettlement affiliates helping them restart their lives in your local community. You can visit USAHello.org to track down the affiliates in your region.

●  Light your civic infrastructure in honor of Afghans and those we lost during our conflict.

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