MEMORANDUM
To: All Interested Parties
From: With Honor Action
Re: Assistance for our Afghan Allies
Date: 8/17/23
Current State:
As we mark two years since the fall of Kabul, there is still work to be done to safeguard our Afghan allies. With Honor Action is committed to fulfilling America’s promises to those who stood shoulder-to-shoulder with us for over two decades. That means passing the Afghan Adjustment Act and giving our wartime allies a safe and legal way to build their lives in America, free from the threat of the Taliban.
What With Honor Action is Doing:
Over the last few months, With Honor Action has met with numerous members of Congress, highlighting the desperate pleas of our Afghan allies who are currently living in limbo, facing the threat of getting sent back into danger and chaos, and the need for the passage of the Afghan Adjustment Act.
We also partnered with an all-female Afghan tactical Platoon, to push this legislation forward. Hear their story here on their work with the U.S. military, the pain of leaving their families behind, and their fight for a safe future.
What is the Afghan Adjustment Act?
The Afghan Adjustment Act is a first step toward keeping our word as a nation and honoring the debt owed to our Afghan allies. This bipartisan and bicameral legislation would provide a pathway to lawful permanent residence for Afghans already in America, offering them a way out of legal limbo and the looming threat of deportation. Congress has historically passed similar legislation for other displaced populations on humanitarian grounds, including Vietnamese and Korean refugees.
The Afghan Adjustment Act would improve and expand the Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) program by broadening SIV eligibility to include groups that worked and fought alongside U.S. forces, like the Afghan National Army Special Operations Command and the Afghan Female Tactical Teams.
What Would the Bill Do?
Allow Afghans who are on humanitarian status and submit to additional vetting — including an in-person interview — to apply for permanent legal status in the United States . For these Afghans, the primary options under current law to gain permanent status are through our broken asylum system or the burdensome SIV process, which has a current backlog of over 140,000 applications
Expands the SIV program to include previously omitted groups, including the Female Tactical Teams of Afghanistan, the Afghan National Army Special Operations Command, the Afghan Air Force, and the Special Mission Wing of Afghanistan
Establish a US task force to develop and implement a strategy for supporting Afghans outside of the United States who are eligible for SIV status
Require the Department of State to respond to congressional inquiries about SIV applications
Current Sponsors of the Afghan Adjustment Act:
H.R. 4627:
Lead Sponsors: Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (IA-01) & Rep. Earl Blumenauer (OR-03)
Co-sponsors: 31 (15 Republicans, 16 Democrats)
S. 2327:
Lead Sponsors: Senator Amy Klobuchar (MN) and Senator Lindsey Graham (SC)
Co-sponsors: 12 (6 Republicans, 6 Democrats)
Support Overview
H.R. 4627 has significant bipartisan support as the bill is co-sponsored by 32 members, 9 of whom are members of the cross-partisan For Country Caucus.
The Senate companion bill, S. 2327, is also being led with bipartisan leadership in the Senate Judiciary Committee, which oversees this issue, and other leaders on key Senate committees.
What They Are Saying:
Fox News: Army veteran seeks to save Afghan commando from Taliban
Fox News: Army vet seeks to save Afghan commando stuck in Turkey, living in fear of Taliban
The Hill: Afghan Adjustment Act will allow families like mine to find stability, opportunity in America
U.S. Chamber of Commerce: U.S. Chamber of Commerce Applauds Reintroduction of Afghan Adjustment Act
Washington Post: She was lucky to escape Afghanistan. Two years later, she’s stuck in limbo.
ABC: Refugee resettlement leaders in Kansas call for passage of Afghan Adjustment Act
Human Rights First: Former Military Commanders Support Afghan Adjustment Act
CBS19: Bill reintroduced to help Afghan refugees seeking legal residency in U.S.
CBS: Tens of thousands of Afghans in U.S. could lose deportation protections unless Congress acts
The Soapbox: Time Is Running Out for Congress to Help Our Afghan Allies
Fox News: We cannot forget our Afghan heroes and our promise to help them
Vox: An act of Congress could grant legal status to thousands of Afghan allies. What’s the holdup?