Lives Defined by Hope; Advocacy for our Afghan Allies
For many Afghans, life is defined by both conflict and hope. Working to better their country, thousands have served alongside U.S. troops as interpreters, enacting meaningful change within the country. The work was and still is dangerous, and many interpreters, like Hashimi, have been forced to leave Afghanistan and seek safety in the United States under the Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) program.
This April the U.S. military announced a withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan, prompting panic as Afghans allied with the military rushed to get their families to safety. The safety of thousands of Afghans are dependent on the ability of the U.S. to successfully process thousands of visa requests within an already overwhelmed immigration system.
U.S. citizens and organizations have come together in recent weeks to demand safety for our Afghan allies. On the local front, the Network’s own Hearts and Homes for Refugees held a meeting with lawmakers and citizens to advocate behalf of this issue, and Cornerstone Marriage and Family Intervention’s Freshta Taeb worked with the Afghan American Foundation to call for an immediate and permanent ceasefire at the source.
Advocacy worked. The House of Representatives recently passed a bill that will speed up the processing of SIVs for Afghan translators and their families, and the Biden Administration plans to evacuate thousands of interpreters to relative safety in other countries. With action forthcoming, U.S. citizens are keeping their promise to Afghan nationals and their families, who will find a welcoming community on arrival in the United States.
The work is never done, but U.S. citizens such as those at the Network are prepared for the road ahead to welcome our allies home.
In partnership and service,
Your Neighbors at the Network
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