TAKE ACTION: Afghan Adjustment Act
This is a repost of a message from our partners at the Michigan Immigrant Rights Center.
Michigan is expecting approximately 1,600 Afghan evacuees. There is a shortage of legal services for Afghan evacuees, lack of information, and possible denials of their applications. In order to address this issue there is a federal act that has been introduced - the Afghan Adjustment Act. See below for more information. You can help by doing any of the following:
- If you are a constituent of Rep. Meijer please consider contacting him (email and phone script is below) and tell him to support the Afghan Adjustment Act by being a co-sponsor. We currently have NO republican support and he has been one of few Republicans in being vocal about welcoming Afghan refugees to our communities.
- If you know of anyone that is a constituent of Rep. Meijer please forward this email. A sample email/script is below.
- If you are not a constituent of Rep. Meijer you can still contact your your 2 U.S. senators and U.S. representative.
- MIRC is looking for pro bono attorneys/DOJ reps to assist filing asylum applications for Afghan evacuees. MIRC will provide training and technical assistance to any attorneys who are able to volunteer. Any attorneys who are interested should register to attend MIRC's Pro Bono Afghan Asylum Kick-Off online event on March 22, 2022 at 1 PM.
- In addition, pro bono attorneys can also reach out to afghanprobono@michiganimmigrant.org. No immigration experience required. There are many ways to get involved, including taking cases in-office, volunteering at asylum workshops, and being a mentor to other attorneys.
- Additional Information/Resources
- Afghan Evacuation: From Parole to Permanent Protection (December 2021)
- Explainer: Afghan Adjustment Act (January 2022)
Contact U.S. Representative Peter Meijer (R-MI 3rd District)
Sample Email/Script: “My name is [first and last name]], and [as a legal service provider, veteran, Michigan resident, constituent, etc.], I thank you for your advocacy and concerns for Afghan evacuees as we continue to welcome them into our communities. I ask you to please co-sponsor the Afghan Adjustment Act. This simple but critical step will help ensure that Afghan evacuees have permanent safety and legal status in the U.S. Without it, they are vulnerable to a lifetime of instability and even deportation.
The Afghan Adjustment Act would allow certain Afghan evacuees to apply for permanent status after one year of being paroled into the country. Creating a clear pathway to apply to become Lawful Permanent Residents without arbitrary deadlines or hurdles strengthens our communities and supports arrivals’ integration in their new homes.
Your advocacy to show support for Afghan evacuees in our communities is appreciated. Please take the next step in providing permanent protection by co-sponsoring the Afghan Adjustment Act.
Phone: Grand Rapids Office: (616) 451-8383
Washington D.C. Office: (202) 225-3831