Padilla Leads Colleagues in Calling on President Biden to Continue Safe Relocation of Afghan Refugees to the United States
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Following the U.S. troop withdrawal from Afghanistan, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) led 25 of his Senate colleagues in calling on President Biden to continue the safe relocation of Afghan refugees, parolees, evacuees, and Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) applicants currently residing in third countries to the United States.
The letter urges the Administration to take immediate steps to expedite SIV and refugee program processing so that more Afghans are not left behind and ensuring all avenues are open for them to come to the United States, including by designating a humanitarian parole category for them.
“The United States has long recognized the need to provide protections for refugees and those seeking humanitarian parole… It is our duty as Americans to ensuring that Afghan partners who risked so much for our nation have a safe place to relocate, and we urge you to take immediate steps to expedite the SIV and refugee program processing so that more Afghans are not left behind,” wrote the Senators.
“In addition, we urge you to ensure that all evacuated Afghans, including those evacuated by private sector volunteers, are paroled into the United States and not left to languish in third countries in legal limbo,” they continued. “Specifically, we ask that you create a designated humanitarian parole category for certain Afghan women and children, activists, human rights defenders, parliamentarians, journalists, and others who are in danger.”
The letter, led by Senator Padilla, was signed by U.S. Senators Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Thomas Carper (D-Del.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Bernie Sanders (D-Vt.), Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Bob Casey (D-Pa.), Michael Bennett (D-Colo.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Kirsten Gilibrand (D-N.Y.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Ed Markey (D-Mass), Tina Smith (D-Minn), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M), and Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.).
A copy of the letter can be viewed here and read below:
Dear President Biden:
We urge you to continue the safe relocation of Afghan evacuees, refugees, parolees, and SIV applicants to the United States in the wake of the U.S. troop withdrawal from Afghanistan. Afghan translators, drivers, contractors, interpreters and others who aided the U.S. military provided a great service to the American people, and it is imperative that we help them find a safe place to relocate in the United States. Additionally, the lives of many Afghans whose work furthered the U.S.-mission – including women’s rights leaders, pro-democracy activists, parliamentarians, journalists, and many who worked for U.S.-based NGOs and media organizations – are in danger and need a pathway to safety in the U.S.
The United States has long recognized the need to provide protections for refugees and those seeking humanitarian parole. In 2009, Congress passed the Afghan Allies Protection Act, which included the issuance of Special Immigrant Visas (SIVs) to those who worked for the U.S. government and the International Security Assistance Force. Unfortunately, tens of thousands of Afghans now face persecution and death threats from the Taliban because of their service for our country. It is our duty as Americans to ensure that Afghan partners who risked so much for our nation have a safe place to relocate, and we urge you to take immediate steps to expedite the SIV and refugee program processing so that more Afghans are not left behind.
In addition, we urge you to ensure that all evacuated Afghans, including those evacuated by private sector volunteers, are paroled into the United States and not left to languish in third countries in legal limbo. Specifically, we ask that you create a designated humanitarian parole category for certain Afghan women and children, activists, human rights defenders, parliamentarians, journalists, and others who are in danger. Many designated parole programs have been established in our history such as the Cuban Family Reunification Parole Program in 2007 and the Filipino World War II Veterans Parole Program in 2016.
We look forward to working with you and with state and local governments to ensure that vulnerable Afghans and their families have the resources and support necessary to relocate and resettle in the United States.
Sincerely,
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