For 20 years, the United States was at war in my home country, Afghanistan. During those years, many of my fellow Afghans supported U.S. troops. They fought alongside Americans, helped with translation and intelligence, and risked their lives as allies. The United States needed their help.
So, when America promised to protect its Afghan allies at the war’s end, we believed them. June marked the third year of my advocacy efforts to support the Afghan Adjustment Act, which still has not passed. It’s time to keep the promise and take real action.
Since the fall of Kabul in August 2021, only about 90,000 of the 124,000 allies America evacuated have been able to come to the U.S. Many fled to Pakistan, where they remain at risk of being deported back to the arms of the Taliban. An estimated 154,000 allies couldn’t leave at all. They live in constant fear because they chose to help America. Other Afghans are struggling in third countries with stay visa issues and need immediate expatriate assistance in their pending cases, including women and single females.
Even those allies who now reside in the United States lack security. Just a small fraction—around 21,000—have been issued a Special Immigration Visa, which provides a route to permanent status here. The remaining 70,000 remain in limbo, facing potential deportation, despite proposed bills meant to help them.
It’s time to act. Legislators must pass the bipartisan Afghan Adjustment Act. The act would carefully screen Afghan allies already paroled into the country by the President and then grant them permanent residency and a pathway to citizenship. The act would also allow more Afghans currently residing outside the country to come here on Special Immigrant Visas.
Over the last decade, America allocated just 38,500 of these visas. This barely covered the Afghans, whose allyship made them Taliban targets prior to American withdrawal. Then America left—and abandoned an estimated $7 billion worth of military equipment. With that weaponry likely now in Taliban hands, there is a dire need for both more Special Immigrant Visas and refugee-status visas.
Currently, tens of thousands of vulnerable judges, lawyers, military commandos, journalists, civil society members, and women at risk remain trapped in the country alongside the wives, parents, and children of evacuated allies. The Afghan allies who are now living in America face a predicament similar to that of other foreign nationals who’ve received temporary protected status, or TPS.
Like these TPS holders, their legality is tenuous—renewable every few years if the President agrees to it. Under the previous administration, there was a concerted effort to end protections for TPS holders. There’s no guarantee the same won’t happen to Afghans in the future.
Last June, President Biden extended temporary protections—in this case called “humanitarian parole”—to the Afghans that America evacuated. This short-term executive order is the limit of his power. Only Congress can turn this band-aid into a permanent solution.
When you’re on temporary status, never knowing what the future holds, it’s tough to build a life. Afghans with humanitarian parole can work, but many are forced into low-paying, low-skilled jobs because employers are uncertain about their future residency status. I know many well-educated Afghans with highly skilled backgrounds—some former government officials—who are now driving for Uber and making Amazon deliveries.
The employment barriers among this displaced population are a significant issue. Resettlement is not welcoming in the United States, and welcoming is not destiny. We also need to increase the local and state funding opportunities since the housing crisis is a significant issue across the United States, including California.
A lack of legal resources, housing, and case management can increase the time families need to get support. Under the U.S. refugee admission system, many opportunities for Afghans and other nationals experiencing war and violence should be prioritized, including TPS extension for other nationalities who lack access.
The United States must keep its promise to Afghanistan. After 20 years, Americans abruptly pulled out and left the country, leaving behind chaos and a trail of broken promises. My fellow Afghans risked everything. They remain in mortal danger. Congress and the American public, make good on your promise—please help us.
Kawser Amine is a former refugee, speaker, feminist, and former Afghan national soccer player. She was born in Afghanistan and now lives in Northern California.
