Measure addresses Afghan permanent legal residency

A group of lawmakers have introduced a bill they said seeks to enable Afghans with temporary status, who undergo additional vetting, to apply for permanent legal residency.

Sens. Roy Blunt (R-MO), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Chris Coons (D-DE), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) recently introduced the Afghan Adjustment Act. The legislation would enhance and expand the Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) process by broadening SIV eligibility to include groups that worked alongside American forces, including the Afghan National Army Special Operations Command and the Female Tactical Teams of Afghanistan.

“Nearly a year ago, thousands of our Afghan allies fled their homes as their country fell to the Taliban,” Blunt said. “These evacuees are people who stood by our service members, risking their safety and the safety of their loved ones, in support of the U.S. mission in Afghanistan. This bill maintains a rigorous vetting process while providing an opportunity for Afghan refugees to rebuild their lives in America. I urge our colleagues to support this bipartisan effort to help those who helped us.”

Presently, they said, Afghans admitted on temporary humanitarian status can only gain permanent legal status through the asylum system or Special Immigrant Visa process (SIV), which involve backlogs and long processing times.

“Giving our Afghan allies a chance to apply for permanent legal status is the right and necessary thing to do,” Klobuchar said. “This bipartisan legislation will help provide these newly arrived Afghans who have sacrificed so much for our country with the legal certainty they deserve as they begin their lives in the U.S. It’s important to do what we can to help our Afghan friends find stability, opportunity, and community in their new home.”