Afghan Adjustment Act Would Provide Stability and Safety to Afghan Families

Washington, DC

Kids in Need of Defense (KIND) welcomes the re-introduction of the Afghan Adjustment Act which would allow Afghans who fled to the United States after the fall of Afghanistan to apply for permanent legal residency. The bill, introduced, introduced in the Senate by Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and in the House by Representatives Blumenauer (D-OR) and Miller-Meeks (R-IA), would provide a pathway to lawful permanent status for certain Afghans, fulfilling the U.S. government’s promise to protect those Afghans and their families who supported U.S. efforts in Afghanistan. KIND works with unaccompanied Afghan children in the United States who were separated from their families in the chaos of the evacuation from the Kabul airport in August 2021 as Afghanistan fell to the Taliban. At least 1,550 Afghan children came to the United States as Unaccompanied Afghan Minors.  

“The Afghan Adjustment Act would provide Afghan families who were evacuated by the U.S government in 2021 safety and stability after two years of uncertainty and fear,” said KIND President Wendy Young. “This is vital to their ability to heal, particularly  the children, and their ability to integrate into the United States.” 

KIND shares legal information with unaccompanied Afghan children who remain in U.S. government shelters, provides them with legal representation or helps them find a lawyer to seek permanent protection, and works to connect Afghan children with vital services for which they are eligible, including social services. A critical component of KIND’s work involves helping children navigate the complex process of requesting reunification with family members left behind in Afghanistan.   KIND also works with members of the Evacuate Our Allies Coalition to advocate for family reunification and long-term support for children who remain separated from their loved ones. 

For more information about KIND’s work with unaccompanied and separated Afghan children, please read, Rising to the Challenge: Protecting and Addressing the Trauma of Unaccompanied Afghan Children. 

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