The ultraconservative Islamist political faction, the Taliban, regained control of Kabul just over three years ago, quashing the aspirations of many Afghans for a liberal, democratic governance. The withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan mere days after the Taliban’s reassertion in 2021 led to a mass exodus of Afghans to the Kabul airport, all desperate for evacuation.
Among these were Afghans who had served in various capacities for the US military and NATO forces, including as interpreters. There were also others who feared the Taliban’s reign. The haphazard evacuation provoked chaotic and occasionally violent scenes which dominated media headlines for weeks. The US military managed to airlift close to 124,000 people out of Afghanistan during this period.
Many Afghans who left their country in 2021 sought refuge in neighboring countries like Iran and Pakistan. To provide some relief to those who ended up in the US, the Biden administration announced on August 29, 2021, that these evacuees could legally, albeit temporarily, reside in the US.
As an academic specializing in civil conflict and refugee migration, I have been tracking the Afghan evacuation and corresponding policy developments in Washington since 2021. Despite President Joe Biden renewing humanitarian parole for approximately 70,000 Afghans in 2023, these individuals remain in a state of legal uncertainty, unable to fully progress in their lives.
The forthcoming election could be a critical factor in determining the legal status of these Afghans.
The US allowed Afghans entry through a federal program known as humanitarian parole, which the president can authorize to protect individuals in other countries experiencing dire emergency situations. Unlike the US refugee admission policy, humanitarian parole must be renewed by the presidential administration every two years.
The Afghan parole program facilitated individuals like Mina Bakhshi, a female rock climber whose future under the Taliban was bleak due to her gender, to enter the US and pursue further education.
While these Afghan individuals can legally work and attend school in the US, they often encounter difficulties securing stable employment or renting a home due to their non-permanent resident status and lack of Social Security numbers.
Throughout history, the US government has utilized humanitarian parole to assist individuals from conflict zones where US armed forces are involved, such as Vietnam and Ukraine. The Afghan Adjustment Act, a proposed bipartisan bill in Congress, would allow Afghan parolees to apply for permanent legal status.
However, a few Republican lawmakers, led by Senator Chuck Grassley, have expressed concerns over national security and argued against the act, stating that the vetting process for newcomers is inadequate.
The destiny of Afghan parolees will likely be influenced by the results of the forthcoming election. The possibility of Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris renewing parole for Afghans for an additional two years, as Biden did in 2023, is high should she win the election.
Conversely, what Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump might do about Afghans living temporarily in the US is uncertain. Trump’s previous presidential term was characterized by restrictions on immigration, including reducing refugee admissions and tightening the process for issuing US visas to Afghans and Iraqis who worked with the US military.
In the meantime, Afghans who fled the Taliban continue to face uncertainty about their future in the US.
This article is an adaptation from a piece originally published by The Conversation, republished here under a Creative Commons license. The author is Idean Salehyan, a professor of political science at the University of North Texas.
