I-ARC stands in support of the Afghan Adjustment Act, newly introduced to Congress
New York, NY; August 9, 2022 - Immigrant ARC members stand in vocal support of the Afghan Adjustment Act, introduced into Congress today by a bi-partisan group of Senators. The bill provides a pathway to lawful permanent residence and eventual citizenship for Afghan nationals who have already been allowed to enter the U.S. Unlike the regular U.S. asylum process, which requires applicants to speak about their credible fear of persecution, an often retraumatizing experience, this stand-alone bill would allow Afghans to enter a streamlined process to adjust their status after going through a vetting process. This bill helps ensure Afghans who are already here in the United States can integrate into their communities where they are already living.
In response to the introduction of this important bill, Immigrant ARC’s Executive Director Camille Mackler made the following statement:
“Almost a year ago, civilian-led groups launched an unprecedented evacuation of Afghan allies, who worked side by side with us to build an Afghanistan we promised, but were left behind when US troops were withdrawn. For the last year tens of thousands of individuals have lived in limbo, in temporary status hastily granted with no thought to their future stability or safety. This whole time, these individuals have sought to rebuild their lives in the United States, not knowing if they would eventually be returned to Afghanistan where their service to and affiliation with the U.S. government would endanger their lives. Today, we applaud the bipartisan group of legislators who have sponsored the Afghan Adjustment Act, honoring the United States commitment to supporting this population. We urge all members of Congress to follow their example and vote in favor of this bill.”
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Immigrant ARC is a collaborative of over 80 organizations and professional associations providing legal services to New York’s immigrant communities throughout the State. Born out of the legal effort at JFK Airport during the Muslim Travel Ban in 2017, our mission is clear: to mobilize New York State’s legal service providers by facilitating communication and information sharing to better support our immigrant communities; to organize and respond to issues as they arise by coordinating resources and fostering best practices among providers; and to resist and challenge anti-immigrant policies by shining a light on injustices and confronting inequalities faced by our communities in the legal system.
CONTACT: press@immigrantarc.org
