There is a high influx of Afghan Refugees attempting to enter the United States to receive temporary protected status. Due to Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan, the United States has been accepting Afghans as they have been fleeing to find safety. The refugees are still in search of safety and protection against the chaos that their country is still currently undergoing under the Taliban rule. When Kabul fell to the Taliban in 2021, Afghans escaped to the United States in hopes of finding refuge, but many have struggled to find a pathway to citizenship. However, there is still hope that legislation will generate more efficient processes to allow them to gain permanent residency in the United States.
To qualify for temporary protected status that permits them to remain in the United States, the Afghan evacuees must already be present in the United States and be able to pass a background check. About 82,000 Afghans have already settled here, but many still have not acquired the long-term authorization necessary to remain here. Refugee advocates are pushing Congress to develop a pathway for these Afghan refugees to obtain permanent legal status in the United States. Specifically, a bipartisan bill referred to as the Afghan Adjustment Act, which would provide short-term humanitarian parole status for two years before applying for permanent legal status, has been in the works. This bill would not only grant legal residency for Afghan evacuees, but it would also be solving Republicans’ security concerns as it requires them to undergo various security checks to qualify.
