AfghanEvac says that five years after the fall of Kabul, two significant legislative developments were made in the United States last week to protect Afghan allies.
According to the organization, a companion bill, the “Afghanistan Temporary Protected Status Act,” was introduced in the U.S. Senate. At the same time, a new bipartisan bill, the “Afghan Allies Records and Services Legacy Act,” was also introduced.
AfghanEvac said that on August 6, a companion version of the “Afghanistan Temporary Protected Status Act” was introduced in the Senate, mirroring legislation previously introduced in the House of Representatives. Under the bill, Afghans residing in the United States would be eligible for Temporary Protected Status.
On August 7, four senators Mike Rounds, Amy Klobuchar, Chris Coons, and Thom Tillis introduced a new bill titled the “Afghan Allies Records and Services Legacy Act.”
According to AfghanEvac, both bills have bipartisan support from Republicans and Democrats and aim to establish a permanent legal framework to protect Afghan allies and preserve records of their service alongside U.S. forces.
Under the new legislation, the U.S. Department of Defense would be required to verify and preserve service records and biometric information of Afghans who worked with U.S. forces, as well as at-risk Afghan allies. The bill also proposes the creation of a secure electronic system that would allow Afghan allies or their representatives to request the preservation and documentation of their service records from anywhere, including from within Afghanistan.
AfghanEvac says the legislation is particularly significant for Afghan special forces personnel, pilots, intelligence officials, judges, prosecutors, and defense officials who served alongside U.S. forces for at least one year between December 22, 2001, and September 1, 2021.
Meanwhile, under the “Afghanistan Temporary Protected Status Act,” Afghanistan would be designated for Temporary Protected Status through July 1, 2029. AfghanEvac says that if the designation takes effect, Afghans residing in the United States would be protected from deportation to Afghanistan and would be eligible for legal employment authorization.
Writer:Saeed Sameer
