Veterans groups, lawmakers and members of the Afghan Female Tactical Platoon came together on Capitol Hill Tuesday to discuss why passing the Afghan Adjustment Act, which would ensure a path to lawful permanent residency for those who assisted during the decades-long U.S. operations in Afghanistan, is vital.
“Right now, it falls on all of us to provide them with the stability and security they need,” said Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.). “We need a path to permanent residency.”
Klobuchar (D-MN), along with Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Jerry Moran (R-KS), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Roger Wicker (R-MS), Dick Durbin (D-IL), and Thom Tillis (R-NC) along with Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-IA) and Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) came together to reintroduce the legislation in the current Congress.
“Everyone knows this is the right thing to do. We just have to find the right vehicle to get it through the Senate,” said Blumenauer.
Thousands of Afghans who were evacuated as the Afghan government fell to the Taliban during the U.S. and coalition military withdrawal in 2021 resettled in America. The legislation would allow them to apply for permanent legal residency after undergoing additional vetting.
Former Afghan Female Platoon Commander Mahnaz Akbari served beside American troops in Afghanistan. Resettled now in the U.S., she wants to join the American military but can not due to her immigration status.
“There is a big group of us, around 30 women, wanting to join the military but just waiting for years now,” she said. “We want to serve, we want to do more, but we don’t have the ability to do anything until someone makes a decision about our permanent status.”
Legislative Director of With Honor Tom Seaman noted the legislation was originally introduced two years ago.”
“We cannot stop, no matter how long this takes,” he said. “Because our honor is at stake, and this is long overdue.”
The fight to pass the legislation is a personal one for Akbari and other Afghan veterans, many of whom have families in Afghanistan.
“They live in danger every day, so it’s hard for us to focus on things like English classes and finding jobs and handling our immigration paperwork,” she said.
Despite that, Akbari said she tries to remain hopeful.
“But it’s really hard as we keep waiting for answers,” she said.
It is estimated that around 150,000 Afghans have Special Immigrant Visas waiting for approval from the State Department.
The Veterans of Foreign Wars hosted the event.
Reach Julia LeDoux at Julia@connectingvets.com.