On Friday, the Department of Homeland Security in a release stated that starting next month, those Afghan nationals who had come to the U.S. through Operation Allies Welcome (OAW), which allowed Afghans to move to the U.S. following the Taliban takeover of their country would be allowed to request re-parole.
According to the release, each request would be handled on a case-by-case basis looking into both the humanitarian relief urgency and the public benefit brought. The Biden administration’s move to re-parole Afghan nationals comes after Congress was not able to pass the Afghan Adjustment Act, which would have created a path to citizenship for the 80,000 Afghans who fled Afghanistan in 2021. The first group of Afghans who arrived in the U.S. were expecting to see their temporary parole status expire this summer.
The DHS in the release stated that the Afghan Support Centers would open on May 17th and would give more information about immigration and social services. The first of these centers is set to open in Phoenix. Those Afghan nationals who are hoping to look for permanent status in the U.S. and are eligible to do so will also be guided through that process.
Following the U.S. chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan, the federal government announced that they would allow Afghans to enter the country on humanitarian parole. This would allow many Afghans to escape the Taliban regime that had taken over the country. This was an option for Afghans with ties to the U.S. as well as those who had assisted the U.S. military in Afghanistan.
