December 13, 2023

Members of the Evacuate Our Allies Coalition Urge Congress Not to Trade Afghan Adjustment for the End of Life-Saving Asylum for Afghans

WASHINGTON, DC — Today, 50 organizations, members of the Evacuate Our Allies Coalition, sent a letter to Congressional leadership opposing any efforts to embroil the bipartisan Afghan Adjustment efforts in the broader and partisan debates surrounding the supplemental funding bill.

The letter states: “it is imperative that this crucial solution for our Afghan allies not be treated as a tool for political leverage in these discussions, nor used to anchor any harmful, anti-asylum negotiations that prevents Afghans from accessing life-saving protection that the U.S. government has not sufficiently assured elsewhere. We urge a focused and serious consideration of Afghan adjustment, free from the constraints of partisan politics, to ensure the safety and rights of those who supported the 20-year U.S. Mission in Afghanistan.”

"I've held hope for over two years, trusting in the U.S. government and the Congress to honor a 20-year alliance. Today, that trust is shattered. Thousands of my fellow Afghans are abandoned, at the mercy of the Taliban, facing deportation in lands not their own. The very U.S. policymakers we counted on are now sacrificing life-saving legislation for Afghans in favor of policies that close doors and hearts. Our disillusionment is profound as promises of protection give way to an eroding asylum." Helal Massomi, Co-Chair of the Legislative Committee of the Evacuate Our Allies Coalition

“Afghans are owed a tremendous debt and we have urged Congress for over two years to make a down payment on that debt with passage of a bipartisan Afghan Adjustment Act. Afghans will not and should not be used as political bargaining chips in order to pass restrictions on asylum or further anti-immigrant policies that harm us and other vulnerable communities.” Arash Azizzada, Co-Director at Afghans For A Better Tomorrow

"Once again, we are witnessing the U.S. government use Afghans to push forward its own political goals. As an Afghan community immigrant justice organization, we cannot understate the harm to our community and others if anti-asylum, anti-immigrant policies are codified. We call on Congress to reject expansions to detention and deportation for our community and all communities, and to invest in long-lasting protections for all." Laila Ayub, Co-Director and Immigration Attorney at Project ANAR

Evacuate Our Allies Coalition members conclude by urging congressional leaders to honor America's commitment to Afghan allies, including those who stood up against the Taliban in and out of uniform. Many of these at-risk Afghans have been left behind and our promises to them remain unmet. We must protect the only existing mechanisms that allow them to reach safety even as we fulfill our duty to ensure that those already here have a lasting pathway to protection.

Fifty organizations of the Evacuate Our Allies Coalition urge Congress Not to Trade Afghan Adjustment for the End of Life-Saving Asylum for At-Risk Afghans.

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Evacuate Our Allies is a coalition of over 150 faith organizations, refugee and immigration groups, veterans and veteran service organizations, human and civil rights advocates, and Afghan American community organizations working to advance government accountability and action in fulfilling promises to provide safe passage, welcome, and protection to at-risk Afghans following the conclusion of the decades-long U.S. military presence in Afghanistan.