It’s been 2 years since Kabul fell to the Taliban, and our Afghan allies are still waiting in limbo. Over 70,000 Afghans have been evacuated to the United States since then using a temporary form of protection called humanitarian parole. While this was a speedy way to remove our allies from danger, it is also a temporary fix that does not offer a path to permanent residency or even a long-term legal status to remain in the United States legally. Our Afghan allies urgently need a solution to prevent long asylum backlogs, uncertainty, or even deportation.
In July the bipartisan and bicameral Afghan Adjustment Act (H.R. 4627/S.2327) was introduced to address this problem. The introduction of this bill demonstrates that significant progress is being made to provide Afghan allies, other evacuees, and their families the permanency and stability they deserve, but Congress has been unsuccessful in bringing the bill to a vote. The delay is not due to the lack of general support for the bill, but because we’ve seen Senator Tom Cotton block the bill twice, despite recent polling that shows that most American adults (and 70% of evangelical Christians) support the Afghan Adjustment Act. As people of faith, we are deeply concerned that this act of partisanship is leading to a failure to honor the promises that we made as a nation to our Afghan allies.
The American people have been quick to stand up and welcome our Afghan allies into our communities. We need our leaders to do the same. Please add your name to the petition calling on Senator Cotton to remember the promises made by our government to protect our Afghan allies, and to help us be a country of integrity that keeps our word.