As the humanitarian crisis unfolds in Afghanistan and resettlement efforts move forward in the U.S., AACO has initiated and participated in several meetings to use our platform to support and empower our Afghan refugees and evacuees. AACO is also part of the Afghan-American Coalition, a space comprised of organizations focused on addressing the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan and amplifying state and national efforts to achieve policy goals that support Afghan resettlement. As a community, our voice and expertise can shift the conversation to focus on critical resources for Afghan refugees and evacuees.

We wanted to share the meetings we have had and what we as an organization are asking for in these meetings. If there are other actionable ways to support our incoming refugees and evacuees, please let us know. A summary of the meetings we have had or will have either independently or as a coalition member are listed below.

In particular, we have been working closely with Congresswoman Tlaib’s team to identify legislative options to address permanent residency issues with humanitarian parolees and helping craft a congressional letter to support Afghan refugees.

By having a unified and coordinated communal approach, we can push for policy change and support Afghan refugees and evacuees resettling in the U.S.

What AACO is Advocating For

Waive fees associated with humanitarian parole applications for Afghans;
Ensure that Afghan humanitarian parolees have full access to the resources provided by the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) and automatic work authorization;
Designate Afghans for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to ensure that all Afghans living in the U.S. are protected against deportation;
Create an alternative mechanism to allow vulnerable Afghans to apply for humanitarian parole without visiting a U.S. embassy while we lack diplomatic representation in Kabul;
Advocate for U.S. continual assistance to evacuate people and emphasize that the withdrawal efforts should also focus on areas outside of Kabul;
Broaden eligibility and remove unnecessary barriers to meet strict requirements for P1, P2, P3, and SIVs and humanitarian parole that significantly delay the approval process, and increase processing capacity;
Use diplomatic channels to urge allies to drop visa requirements;
Include an Emergency housing stipend as part of the refugee resettlement package for incoming Afghan refugees;
Authorize an emergency FEMA grant to support Afghan resettlement;
Acknowledgment that the Afghan-American community is volunteering on an on-going basis as interpreters and document translators -we need better access and communication about these needs and a proper protocol and payment mechanism to ensure reliable services;
Provide urgent humanitarian assistance to vulnerable communities in Afghanistan, including internally displaced persons (IDPs), women-focused non-governmental organizations (NGOs), persecuted ethnic and religious groups;
Help establish a humanitarian corridor to allow humanitarian NGOs and their supply chains to operate freely in all areas, advocating for increased or sustained humanitarian funding even if other sanctions do come humanitarian funding should not stop; and the banks in Afghanistan should be reopened
Establish Professional Development & Hiring Programs with private companies to assist resettled individuals with skills training and access to employment opportunities;
Expand pro-bono legal Services with support from private companies to assist newly resettled families and individuals with legal services and application fees, while also also advocating for families and individuals in Afghanistan requiring legal assistance; and;
Supply or help fund computers, tablets, or other devices for resettled families needing access to technology.

Summary of Advocacy Meetings

Private Sector Meetings: Microsoft; Airbnb; GoFundMe; Western Union*; Polygon; The Giving Block; Stacks; Citizenbase.

Federal Meetings: Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib; Congressman Ro Khanna; DHS Secretary Mayorkas; California Senator Alex Padilla.

State and Municipal Meetings: California Representative Eric Swalwell (CA-15); City of San Jose*; California Immigration Integration Branch at California Department of Social Services*; City of Fremont; California Health and Human Services Agency

Nonprofit and Resettlement Agency Meetings: International Rescue Committee (IRC); Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc. (CLINIC); Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service; Refuge Point; Save The Children; Human Rights First*; World Bank; UNICEF; United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN OCHA); World Food Programme (WFP); Partnership for the Advancement of New Americans (PANA); Paul and Daisy Soros Fellowship for New Americans; Harvard Program in Global Surgery and Social Change; Kaiser Permanente*; American Academy of Pediatrics*; California Medical Association*; World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies; American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA); Doctors Without Borders (MSF); Kaiser Permanente, American Academy of Pediatrics, California Medical Association.

*Upcoming meetings

If YOU would like to reach out to your local elected representatives and/or private companies, but need some help; email us at info@aa-co.org and we can share additional resources.

Legislative Advocacy

AACO has been working closely with Congresswoman Tlaib’s team to identify legislative options to address permanent residency issues with humanitarian parolees and helping craft a congressional letter to support Afghan refugees.

Employment Opportunities

During our discussion we became aware of certain employment opportunities we wanted to share with our community.

Human Rights First is hiring for its new legal team and there are a number of roles, including the managing attorney who will lead the effort, available on their website.
International Rescue Committee (IRC) is hiring Dari and Pashto interpreters. Please apply here.