(WASHINGTON, D.C., 8/12/22) – The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, welcomed this week’s U.S. House and Senate introduction of the Afghan Adjustment Act, which would allow the 76,000 Afghans evacuees residing in the United States to attain permanent legal resident status one year after their arrival.
TAKE ACTION: URGE YOUR MEMBERS OF CONGRESS TO PASS THE AFGHAN ADJUSTMENT ACT
The bill was championed in the House by Congressman Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), and co-sponsored by Representatives Peter Meijer (R-MI), House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), Adam Kinzinger (R-IL), Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-IA), Jason Crow (D-CO), Fred Upton (R-MI), and Scott Peters (D-CA).
A Senate companion bill was introduced by Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Chris Coons (D-DE), Roy Blunt (R-MO), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK).
The Afghan Adjustment Act would:
- Allow Afghans on temporary humanitarian status in the U.S. who submit to additional security vetting to apply for permanent legal status.
- Establish an Interagency Task Force, led by the U.S. Department of State, responsible for creating and implementing a strategy to continue the relocation and resettlement of eligible Afghan partners from Afghanistan over the next ten years.
- Require the U.S. Department of State to respond to congressional inquiries related to SIV applications or U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP) referrals.
- Expand SIV eligibility for Afghans who worked and served alongside U.S. forces, including members of the Afghan National Army Special Operations Command, the Afghan Air Force, the Female Tactical Teams of Afghanistan, and the Special Mission Wing of Afghanistan.
In July, more than 300 Muslim delegates from 20 states met with more than 200 congressional offices in support of the Afghan Adjustment Act – among other policy issues – during the US Council of Muslim Organization’s 7th annual “National Muslim Advocacy Day” on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.
SEE: 300+ Delegates Take Part in 7th National Muslim Congressional Advocacy Week – #MuslimHillDay
“The United States continues to have a moral obligation – following our military withdrawal from Afghanistan – to ensure that every Afghan evacuee who sets foot on American soil has a pathway to permanent residency and citizenship,” said CAIR Director of Government Affairs Department Robert S. McCaw. “We cannot allow Afghan humanitarian parolees in the United States to live with the uncertainty of where they will go next once their temporary residence status expires. It is not right. It is not the American way. CAIR endorses the Afghan Adjustment Act and urges Congress to immediately pass this bill.”
In February, the Department of Homeland Security announced that “76,000 Afghan nationals who have now joined [over 200] communities across the country.”
SEE: DHS: Operation Allies Welcome Announces Departure of All Afghan Nationals from U.S. Military Bases
CAIR’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
La misión de CAIR es proteger las libertades civiles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a los musulmanes en los Estados Unidos.
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CONTACT: CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell, 404-285-9530, e-Mitchell@cair.com; CAIR Government Affairs Director Robert McCaw, 202-742-6448, rmccaw@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, ihooper@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Coordinator Ismail Allison, 202-770-6280, iallison@cair.com