What’s Happening
On July 14, the Afghan Adjustment Act (AAA) was reintroduced in the U.S. Senate as an amendment to the 2024 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) with the hope that adding it to the ‘must pass’ NDAA would strengthen its chances of passing.
On July 28, despite broad bipartisan support and strong support from veterans, the Senate moved the NDAA forward, but failed to include the AAA as an amendment.
What It Is
The AAA would provide a pathway to permanent legal status to the tens of thousands of Afghans who were evacuated to the U.S. after Kabul fell to the Taliban in 2021.
Evacuees entered the U.S. on two-year humanitarian parole grants, which, unlike immigrant visas or refugee programs, do not provide a path to permanent legal status. In 2022, the Biden Administration designated Afghanistan for Temporary Protected Status, allowing those not paroled to live and work in the U.S.
Both options are only temporary solutions.
Who Will Be Affected
Failure to pass the AAA and create a permanent solution for over 76,000 Afghans who supported the 20-year U.S. military mission would leave our Afghan allies stuck with an uncertain future in the U.S. as they remain in a legal limbo. Congress must act immediately to help them.
The U.S. has a moral imperative to welcome and support Afghan families who risked their lives supporting American troops and came to the U.S. in search of safety.
CAIR-LA calls on Congress to immediately pass the Afghan Adjustment Act to protect those seeking refuge in the United States.