Washington, D.C.— CWS today celebrated the reintroduction of the Afghan Adjustment Act (AAA), a bipartisan and bicameral piece of legislation first introduced in August of 2022. The act would allow those who fled Afghanistan in the fall of 2021 and were relocated to the United States to apply to become lawful permanent residents. If passed, the AAA would allow thousands of relocated Afghan individuals and families to find lasting protection and permanency in their new homes and expand pathways to protection for those who remain at risk overseas.
“The Afghan Adjustment Act is a much overdue and critical step towards keeping our promise to Afghan evacuees. We celebrate this reintroduction, and encourage Congress to act now to pass the bill in order to provide a clear pathway to permanent status for those who have been living in the uncertainty of legal limbo for far too long” said Danilo Zak, Acting Director of Policy & Advocacy at Church World Service. “Over the last two years, our Afghan neighbors have been welcomed into communities across the United States, and in turn, they have become invaluable friends, co-workers, and leaders in their new homes. It is time for Congress to provide Afghans with the welcome, dignity, and stability they deserve by passing the AAA as soon as possible.”
Since the fall of Kabul in 2021, relocated Afghans have worked to rebuild their lives in the United States, and in the process, have become invaluable members of communities across the country. They are peers, co-workers, business owners, students, leaders, and friends. Unfortunately, many of these same individuals and families have lived in a state of uncertainty, fear, and legal limbo as they wait on temporary parole status with no clear path to permanency. Relocated Afghans deserve a secure future. They deserve to raise their children safely and without threat. They deserve a kept promise– one that America made years ago, and now has the opportunity to deliver.
CWS is part of Evacuate our Allies, a coalition of veteran, human rights, and advocacy organizations calling for permanent solutions to the plight of resettled Afghans.
Learn more about how to take action and urge Congress to pass the AAA here.