Four years ago this week, President Biden announced that the United States would fully withdraw its forces from Afghanistan later in 2021.
What followed that August is all too familiar to Afghan Americans, veterans, and volunteers—the rapid advances of the Taliban across the country, the collapse of the Afghan government, a massive evacuation operation to airlift Americans and Afghan allies to safety, a devastating attack at the Kabul airport, and the final departure of U.S. troops.
Three and a half years later, the emergency needs of that time remain. Many Afghans in the United States have not secured a permanent status and live in limbo. Afghan allies back in Afghanistan or neighboring countries wait on safe haven through backlogged and now suspended programs.
Protections and pathways for Afghans have been under a profound assault in recent months.
The latest part of that assault: The Administration has reportedly decided it will terminate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Afghanistan.
As Global Refuge President and CEO Krish O’Mara Vignarajah said in our statement, this reported termination would be a profound betrayal by removing deportation protections for Afghan men, women, and children who would face severe persecution and death if they were returned to Afghanistan.
A TPS termination would be a policy failure that would ignore the state of country conditions after the Taliban takeover. It would be a procedural failure for the government to be unable to make a timely decision on a designation ending in May. Most importantly, it would be a moral failure to many Afghans who directly supported the United States and who were promised safety after their service at great personal risk to themselves and their families.
For more on the reported Afghanistan TPS termination, go to our FAQ here or this podcast episode featuring Global Refuge.
As temporary protections for Afghans in the United States like TPS are undermined, pathways for those who are outside of the United States have also faced major challenges in recent months.
The U.S. refugee program to welcome persecuted individuals vetted and processed overseas has been suspended for all nationalities, including Afghans. Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) recipients, who qualify for a separate pathway based on their service to the U.S. mission, have not been able to relocate or arrive through U.S. government assistance. Afghan refugees and SIV recipients in their first 90 days in the United States were also cut off from initial resettlement support provided by the Department of State.
So what can be done?
To stay informed, sign up for Global Refuge advocacy emails, action alerts to contact your lawmakers, and our April 17 webinar on recent changes in Afghan policy and advocacy issues.
Furthermore, reach out to your members of Congress to urge them to protect pathways and secure protections for Afghans. Here are some asks that are helpful to raise with offices:
- Publicly or privately urge the Administration and the Department of Homeland Security to reverse course on Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Afghanistan by granting at least a 6-month extension of the designation ending on May 20, 2025
- Make public statements or social media posts in support of Afghans or Afghan allies here in the United States or those seeking safety
- Support a reintroduced Afghan Adjustment Act or Fulfilling Promises to Afghan Allies legislation to create a streamlined pathway to a more permanent status for Afghans in the United States temporarily
- Support the authorization of additional Afghan Special Immigrant Visas, which will preserve the program for eligible Afghans who served the U.S. mission in Afghanistan, including those in the United States still on humanitarian parole and TPS.
Global Refuge also encourages you to support and follow Afghan or Afghan-American organizations who serve their community and provide resources for affected beneficiaries, such as Afghan-American Foundation, ANAR, Afghan-American Community Organization, Afghans For A Better Tomorrow, and others.
Whether you were affected by the evacuation in 2021 or are just now getting involved, Global Refuge is grateful for your support and advocacy on behalf of your experiences or on behalf of Afghan allies.
