MEMO: Assistance for our Afghan Allies

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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?

With Honor Action Partners With #AfghanEvac On Retired Military Leadership’s Call to Urgently Pass the AAA

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Congressmen Seth Moulton, Peter Meijer, and With Honor’s CEO Rye Barcott are available for comment. Please contact WHA Communications Director Kate Constantini at constantini@withhonor.org.

CHARLOTTE, NC – This weekend, With Honor Action partnered with #AfghanEvac to organize a letter signed by 30 prominent retired military officers urging Congress to pass the Afghan Adjustment Act (AAA).

Letter signatories include With Honor Action Advisory Board Member Admiral Michael Mullen, the 17th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Generals Richard Myers and Joseph Dunford, the 15th and 19th Chairmen of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, former With Honor Action Advisory Board Member and retired former Vice Chief of Staff of the Army Peter Chiarelli, and retired U.S. Army Generals Stanley McChrystal and Austin Scott Miller, each of whom commanded U.S. forces in Afghanistan.

The letter comes as pressure from Afghan advocacy and veteran service organizations for passage of the AAA grows. Last week, U.S. Senators Patrick Leahy, Jerry Moran, Jeanne Shaheen, and Roger Wicker became co-sponsors of the bill, bringing the total number of Senate cosponsors to ten (5 Democrats, 5 Republicans).

The Afghan Adjustment Act, known in the House as H.R. 8685 and in the Senate as S. 4787, addresses concerns surrounding Afghan evacuee status. Following the hastened evacuations in August of 2021, many of our Afghan allies arrived in the U.S. under temporary humanitarian parole. This has left many in legal limbo, with parole beginning to expire in August of 2023. There are currently only two paths to permanent legal status; the asylum system or the Special Immigrant Visa process (SIV). Both face severe backlogs and long processing times. If passed, the AAA would create a clear third path to lawful permanent residency for those who undergo a robust screening and security vetting process. Additionally, the AAA would improve the SIV process and expand SIV eligibility.

“It’s a sacred commitment that we have, and I don’t just mean former military types. I mean the United States of America,” said Admiral Michael Mullen, USN, Ret., “If anything should be above politics, this should be it. We should make sure that we take care of these people.”

The letter, which has been covered by The Washington Post, CNN, and FOX, argues that the AAA furthers our national security interests while following through on a moral imperative to honor our wartime promises. The letter can be read in full here.

“Our national honor is at stake. Our allies risked their lives to keep American troops safe. We gave them our word and now we are breaking it.,” said Rye Barcott, Co-Founder and CEO of With Honor Action. “The allies we need in the future will remember the choices we make now.”

With Honor Action Endorses the Afghan Adjustment Act

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CHARLOTTE, NC – Last week, Congressman Earl Blumenauer (OR-03), Congressman Peter Meijer (MI-03), Senator Amy Klobuchar (MN), and Senator Lindsey Graham (SC) introduced the Afghan Adjustment Act, a bipartisan and bicameral bill that With Honor Action is proud to endorse. The bill would give a pathway to permanent legal status for our Afghan allies in the U.S. who relocated here after the U.S. withdrawal from the country last year. The bill establishes additional vetting requirements during the application process that would allow an adjustment of status for eligible Afghans who are seeking to rebuild their lives here in the U.S.

Other co-sponsors of the bill include For Country Caucus members Congressman Adam Kinzinger (IL-16), Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks (IA-02), and Congressman Jason Crow (CO-06).

“The U.S. mission in Afghanistan depended on brave Afghans serving as interpreters, democracy advocates, and women’s rights advocates – they were vital to the twenty-year mission. But despite their valiant and dutiful service to America, many Afghans arrived in the U.S. during last year’s evacuation with no clear path to stable residency,” said Rye Barcott, Co-Founder and CEO of With Honor Action. “The Afghan Adjustment Act fixes that problem and ensures America keeps its promise to our Afghan allies. With Honor Action is proud to join Congressman Peter Meijer and Congressman Earl Blumenauer in supporting our Afghan allies, and we hope to see broad bipartisan Congressional support for the Afghan Adjustment Act.”

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With Honor Action is a cross-partisan movement focused on supporting military veterans who want to work across the aisle and put principles before politics while serving again in Congress. With Honor Action’s advisory board includes post-9/11 veterans and Gold Star family members — Chris Howard, Ryan Manion, and Medal of Honor Recipient Florent Groberg — as well as prominent American leaders such as Secretary Robert Gates, Senator Tom Daschle, Admiral Michael Mullen, General Nadja West, and David Gergen.

With Honor Action Statement on Congressman Seth Moulton and Congressman Peter Meijer

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CHARLOTTE, NC – In ordinary times, one might conclude that the surprise visit to Kabul by two veterans who are now members of Congress, Seth Moulton and Peter Meijer, would be inappropriate. But these are anything but normal times. American leaders are on the verge of making one of the most consequential decisions of our lifetimes: whether we will honor our pledges to protect tens of thousands of Afghan allies who have put their lives on the line for our country or whether we will betray our allies and dishonor ourselves by leaving them stranded to the Taliban.

The choice is clear to many veterans who have been pushing the U.S. government for months to prepare an orderly, protective plan for our Afghan allies. As veterans, we were pleased when several senior leaders assured us that our Afghan allies would have safe refuge. But it is now increasingly obvious that not all Afghan allies will have safe refuge.

It is in that spirit and with growing frustration that veterans like Moulton and Meijer have been investigating conditions on the ground in Kabul and participating in efforts led by members of Congress to provide oversight of our military efforts. To go there on this surprise visit was indeed an act that violated norms. But given the extraordinary moment in which we find ourselves, it was also a trip that required courage as well as dedication. They deserve more respect and less criticism.

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With Honor Action is a cross-partisan movement focused on supporting military veterans who want to work across the aisle and put principles before politics while serving again in Congress. With Honor Action’s advisory board includes post-9/11 veterans and Gold Star family members — Chris Howard, Ryan Manion, and Medal of Honor Recipient Florent Groberg — as well as prominent American leaders such as Secretary Robert Gates, Senator Tom Daschle, Admiral Michael Mullen, Gen. Nadja West, and David Gergen.

With Honor Action is a 501(c)(4), which serves as the organization’s policy and social-welfare arm. With Honor has an affiliated federally registered “super PAC” called With Honor Fund.

With Honor Action Joins Other Veteran Service Organizations To Call on the White House To Do More for Afghan Allies

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CHARLOTTE, NC – With Honor Action joins a coalition of other veteran service organizations who are calling on the White House to do more for the Afghan allies who served alongside the U.S. military. With Honor Action, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Wounded Warrior Project, Veterans for American Ideals, and a number of other organizations signed a letter to the White House praising the initial arrival of 2,500 Special Immigrant Visa Afghans to Fort Lee and urged the evacuation of all 20,000 Afghans in the Special Immigrant Visa pipeline.

You can read the entire letter and the full list of organizations here.

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With Honor Action is a cross-partisan movement focused on supporting military veterans who want to work across the aisle and put principles before politics while serving again in Congress. With Honor Action’s advisory board includes post-9/11 veterans and Gold Star family members — Chris Howard, Ryan Manion, and Medal of Honor Recipient Florent Groberg — as well as prominent American leaders such as Secretary Robert Gates, Senator Tom Daschle, Admiral Michael Mullen, Gen. Nadja West, and David Gergen.

With Honor Action is a 501(c)(4), which serves as the organization’s policy and social-welfare arm. With Honor has an affiliated federally registered “super PAC” called With Honor Fund.

With Honor Action Praises Passage of ALLIES Act, Which Will Protect Afghan Interpreters, in the House of Representatives

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CHARLOTTE, NC – Yesterday, the House of Representatives voted 407 to 16 to pass the With Honor Action and For Country Caucus supported ALLIES Act of 2021. This Act, led by veteran bi-partisan Representatives Jason Crow and Adam Kinzinger, increases the number of Special Immigrant Visas by 8,000 and takes very important steps to streamline and improve the flawed SIV process. A full summary of its content can be found here.

“With Honor Action is pleased by this landslide bi-partisan vote to protect our Afghan allies and their families. We urge the Senate to swiftly pass the bill, and for the White House to start the evacuation plan immediately,” says With Honor Action Co-Founder and CEO Rye Barcott. “Tens of thousands of lives are on the line. Time is of the essence.”

With Honor Action also coordinated the following quotes by American national security leaders in advance of the vote to pass the ALLIES Act in the House:

“Thousands of our brave Afghan allies who served alongside U.S. military forces and in cooperative agreements and grants with U.S.-funded non-governmental organizations are at grave risk after putting their lives in danger for years. Co-sponsored by the bi-partisan veterans of the For Country Caucus, the ALLIES Act will help get these brave Afghans and their children to safety and streamline the whole process. It is our responsibility to stand by those who have stood by us. I urge Congress to pass it immediately,” said Dr. Robert Gates, 22nd U.S. Secretary of Defense and With Honor Action Advisory Board Member.

“I strongly encourage Congress to urgently pass the ALLIES Act introduced by the bipartisan veteran members of the For Country Caucus. This Act will help us protect the loyal Afghans who worked for years with the U.S. military and U.S.-funded non-governmental organizations operating under cooperative agreements and grants. Many of their lives — and in some cases the lives of their spouses and children — are now in imminent danger,” said retired Admiral Michael Mullen, 17th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and With Honor Action Advisory Board Member.

“Our Afghan allies who served courageously for years in harm’s way including those who guided U.S. military forces or worked with U.S.-funded non-governmental organizations have earned the right to be Americans. The ALLIES Act, which is co-sponsored by bi-partisan veterans of the For Country Caucus who served in Afghanistan, is essential to streamline the flawed visa process and get them to safety immediately. It is our duty to do so, and time is of the essence. I strongly encourage Congress to pass it before it is too late,” said retired Lieutenant General H.R. McMaster, 26th U.S. National Security Advisor.

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With Honor Action is a cross-partisan movement focused on supporting military veterans who want to work across the aisle and put principles before politics while serving again in Congress. With Honor Action’s advisory board includes post-9/11 veterans and Gold Star family members — Chris Howard, Ryan Manion, and Medal of Honor Recipient Florent Groberg — as well as prominent American leaders such as Secretary Robert Gates, Senator Tom Daschle, Admiral Michael Mullen, Gen. Nadja West, and David Gergen.

With Honor Action is a 501(c)(4), which serves as the organization’s policy and social-welfare arm. With Honor has an affiliated federally registered “super PAC” called With Honor Fund.

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