Keep Our Promise to Afghan Allies

In August of 2021, over 82,000 Afghans were evacuated to the U.S. under Operation Allies Welcome. Most of these individuals and their families were brought into the United States on "humanitarian parole," which is a temporary status that does not include provisions for permanent citizenship.

These individuals, many of whom served with us, furthering U.S. interests and saving lives abroad, are now in indefinite limbo.

There are two main options to stay in the U.S. permanently: apply for asylum or try for a Special Immigration Visa (SIV). Both systems are slow and complicated, especially since they were hastily evacuated.

Additionally, as of July 2025, Afghans who had Temporary Protected Status (TPS) have lost their work authorization and now face deportation due to the program ending. A hodge-podge of avenues and efforts are keeping some, but not all, of these families from facing immediate deportation (renewed humanitarian parole status applications, LPR granting from previous SIV status, or other protection status').

Currently, over 1,100 allies are still waiting the continuation of their re-settlement process on a base in Qatar. Those indefinitely living on this base include interpreters, women who served in the military, judges, prosecutors, journalists, 150 family members of active-duty service members, and over 400 children.

There have been several efforts introduced legislatively to help relieve the ongoing, stressful limbo these ally families face, and yet none have successfully passed into law. Some of those efforts include:

This bill proposes the establishment of a permanent office within the State Department to oversee Afghan relocation efforts. Its primary objectives include resolving issues related to family reunification, ensuring regular reporting to Congress, and upholding commitments to Afghan allies, U.S. service members, and veterans.

The Afghan Adjustment Act was designed to establish a definitive path to permanent residency for Afghans who were evacuated to the United States. The legislation encompassed virtually all Afghans admitted via humanitarian parole, allowing them to be classified as refugees or eligible for a Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) as if they had undergone the standard admission process, thereby qualifying them for lawful permanent resident status. Enhancing reporting and vetting stipulations, it built upon previous iterations of the AAA introduced in 2022 and 2023.

As of April 2026, reports now suggest that the current Administration is in talks to resettle our Afghans Allies waiting in Qatar, to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). These families would be given a choice, return to the now Taliban-run country of Afghanistan or be sent to the Congo. 

“This proposal is cruel and shortsighted,” said World Relief president and CEO Myal Greene. “Afghans who risked their lives to stand alongside the U.S. military were promised protection. To abandon them now – either to the Taliban forces whom they fled or to a separate country beset by war, conflict and extreme poverty – is morally wrong, and I hope and pray that the administration will not pursue this reported plan.” 

We encourage you to continue to use your voice by calling and emailing your elected officials on behalf of this population of immigrants, as we know so many of our military families credit these individuals with saving their lives during our country’s decades-long missions in the Middle East. 

What Can You Do?:

  • Use your voice to ensure we keep our promise to our Afghan Allies

  • Call and/e-mail you representatives, especially Republican members of Congress to:

    • Encourage them to do what they can to prevent our allies from being sent to the DRC (or any other country with significant humanitarian challenges or US travel restrictions).

    • Voice their opposition of such resettlement to the DRC, directly to the administration, and work with other members in supportive ways to encourage the creation of new legislation that provides protection and permanency for these allies and their families.

    • Re-open refugee resettlement pathways for this specific population.

For more ongoing and detailed information specifically about Afghan vetting processes, specific policy updates, and challenges, follow along at Afghan Evac.