FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 01, 2023
PRESS CONTACT
Info@afghanamericans.org
AAF Welcomes the Department of Homeland Security’s Decision to Establish a Re-parole Process for Afghans Resettled in the U.S.
Washington, D.C., 05/01/2023 - The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has reportedly reached a decision today to establish a re-parole process for Afghans resettled in the United States — a policy decision the Afghan-American Foundation (AAF) and our allies have publicly and privately been advocating for with the Biden administration for many months.
If we’ve learned anything over the last several years it is that the informed perspectives and lived experiences of impacted communities can shape policy. The AAF has been a leading voice in calling for re-parole and we are proud to have been able to ensure that Afghan-Americans had a significant role in shaping this decision. We have consistently emphasized the urgent need to protect the rights and well-being of resettled Afghans as they continue to rebuild their lives in America. Today’s decision gives Afghans who have resettled in every corner of this country hope and peace of mind as they await a legislative path to permanent safety in the United States.
We welcome today’s decision; it was the right thing to do. It is, however, just one step forward in our government’s unfinished journey to fulfill its promises to America’s Afghan allies. The Biden administration must now ensure that every other tool at its disposal, including a re-designation of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Afghanistan, is deployed to ensure that no Afghan who has found safety in the U.S. has to worry about being sent back to Afghanistan and placed back in harm’s way under one of the world’s most brutal and repressive regimes. Congress, too, continues to have a role to play and a responsibility to act within its authority to deliver on America’s promises to Afghans.
"While mechanisms like re-parole provide some protection to resettled Afghans in the U.S., they do not provide long-term and sustainable safety and stability for this vulnerable population, " said Mustafa Babak, Executive Director of the Afghan-American Foundation, “to secure that Congress must pass the Afghan Adjustment Act — the most efficient and direct pathway to permanent and comprehensive protection for the newest Afghan members of our American family.”
Together with our partners and allies, we will continue to work with the administration and Congress in good faith to ensure that resettled Afghans, many of whom have been through more in the last two years than most people endure in a lifetime, have the protection they need and are able to lead the dignified lives they deserve to live.
The Afghan-American Foundation is a national 501(c)(3) non-profit organization representing and advancing the interests of Afghans and Afghan-Americans through advocacy, research, education and engagement.
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