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Congress needs to do right by our Afghan allies

by Penelope “Penny Dex” Dexenjaeger, opinion contributor - 11/11/22 5:00 PM ET

AP Photo/Steven Senne
Mohammad Walizada, center right, who fled Afghanistan with his family, sits with three of his children, from the left, Zahra, 10, Hasnat, 3, and Mohammad Ibrahim, 7, Thursday, Sept. 15, 2022, at their home, in Epping, N.H. Since the U.S. military’s withdrawal from Kabul last year, the Sponsor Circle Program for Afghans has helped over 600 Afghans restart their lives in their communities. Now the Biden administration is preparing to turn the experiment into a private-sponsorship program for refugees admitted through the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program and is asking organizations to team up with it to launch a pilot program by the end of 2022.

Every service member working toward American interests in Kabul helped countless Afghans avoid harrowing lives under Taliban rule. Sending Afghan refugees back to certain harm is anything but humane. Taking away their path to permanent citizenship, now or ever, would negate the sacrifices made by my post-9/11 veteran family. Congress must honor their sacrifices by passing the Afghan Adjustment Act.

The Afghan Adjustment Act will allow Afghans eligible for lawful permanent residency to go through an expedited application process. Once approved, Afghan parolees may finally find peace and sanctuary. Very often, Veterans have recounted to me heart-wrenching stories. They have seen images of allied Afghans hanging perilously on airplane wings to escape the advancing enemy. They have been greatly affected by the most recent attacks on Ukrainian sovereignty and the ongoing open hostility at U.S. borders. They feel like the daily challenges faced by Afghans who sought safety in the U.S. have been largely ignored or forgotten.

Many Afghan refugees feel helpless watching the clock run out on their temporary immigration status. They’re trapped in a bureaucratic quagmire of resettlement paperwork and a beyond-broken American asylum system.

Veterans have shown unprecedented hospitality in welcoming thousands of new Afghan neighbors across the country. Quickly passing the Afghan Adjustment Act would help make sure we treat Afghans not as fugitives, but rightfully as refugees. My veteran family urges all of Congress to act now to pass it into law. We implore them to listen to the voices of the frontline communities who have helped to welcome our new Afghan neighbors, including thousands of local non-profits that have emerged to build communities of trust and safety to receive them.

While thousands were evacuated by veterans of Operation Allies Welcome, many others have been left behind in Afghanistan or neighboring countries, including many who are at particular risk due to their work with and for the U.S. mission. The bill would expand eligibility for Special Immigrant Visas (SIVs) to include members of the Afghanistan National Army Special Operations Command, the Afghan Air Force, the Special Mission Wing of Afghanistan, the Female Tactical Teams of Afghanistan, and their direct family members.

The National Immigration Forum is in favor of the bipartisan Afghan Adjustment Act, which would give Afghan evacuees a path to permanent legal status in the U.S. It would provide stability to tens of thousands who are stuck in legal limbo and follow through on promises made to so many allies who put their lives at risk in support of the 20-year U.S. mission in Afghanistan. Like thousands of people seeking safety in the United States before them, Afghans bring with them culture and wisdom that adds to the beauty of America.

Already, our new Afghan neighbors are working in critical sectors of the U.S. economy and making significant contributions to U.S. communities and culture. For Afghans starting over in the United States, #ThisIsHome.

Penelope “Penny Dex” Dexenjaeger is the Veteran Service Officer for American Legion Post 134 in Portland, Ore., and a veteran member of Common Defense, the nation’s largest grassroots veteran organization.