Ernst should back Afghan Adjustment Act

In the wake of the U.S. pullout of Afghanistan, Afghan refugees have come to the United States through a process called parole, which provides protection from deportation and the possibility of a work permit for two years. This is a temporary fix that meets a desperate need, granting safety for Afghans fleeing the Taliban. However, much more is needed.

Some Afghans may be eligible to apply for either asylum or a special immigrant visa, either of which could eventually provide them with permanent status. However, backlogs of applications that predate the recent influx of Afghan arrivals mean that individuals could be stuck in a perpetual “temporary” status for years. There is a solution: an Afghan Adjustment Act that provides permanent legal status for Afghan refugees. This adjustment of status will provide the future stability necessary for Afghans to begin building a new life here in the United States.

This type of legislation has been done in the past. The Cuban Adjustment Act provided legal status for Cubans who fled the island as Castro took power. Following Operation Desert Freedom in the 1990s, Congress provided legal status for Iraqis, many of them Kurds, who fled the country to the United States. The example that left an impact on Iowa was the Indochina Migration and Refugee Assistance Act of 1975, which was amended in 1977 to provide expedited status adjustment for refugees fleeing the Vietnam War. Because of then-Gov. Robert Ray’s work, many Southeast Asian refugees were resettled in Iowa, becoming important members of our communities. Legal status provided these refugees with a secure future that made it possible find work, send children to school, and become part of the fabric of American life.

Earlier this year Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst co-sponsored the Afghan Allies Protection Act. This legislation increased the number of Special Immigrant Visas and worked to address the bureaucratic hoops that elongate the process. Sen. Ernst and other members of Congress understand the risks many Afghans took to support U.S. operations in Afghanistan, as well as the risk faced by many people once the Taliban regained power — specifically women and young girls. Iowans can speak up for the Afghan people by contacting Sen. Ernst to encourage her to co-sponsor the Afghan Adjustment Act, making it easier for Afghan refugees to establish a life in this country.

Jason Lief is a professor of practical theology at Northwestern College in Orange City. He also works as a Bibles, Badges, and Business Mobilizer for the National Immigration Forum.