Dear President Biden and Members of Congress,

As an elected official, we are writing to you today with deep concern for Afghans who are forced from their homes or at risk of life-threatening reprisals from the Taliban. The scenes from the Kabul airport are devastating and only scratch the surface of the situation Afghans now find themselves in. In recent days, we have heard harrowing reports of Taliban members going door-to-door to identify women, peacebuilders, journalists, lawyers and judges, former members of government, and human rights defenders. These individuals, as well as their colleagues and loved ones, face grave danger and require our immediate assistance. 

Throughout the 20-year war in Afghanistan, the U.S. made sweeping promises and helped secure important gains in the realms of human rights and democracy in partnership with our brave Afghan allies. Our Afghan partners have been integral to the U.S. mission, and we have a moral responsibility to protect those at risk due to our withdrawal. The U.S. should work with bilateral and multilateral partners to ensure urgent evacuation remains possible up to and beyond the planned August 31 withdrawal deadline.

Time is of the essence. Markets are closed and people are sheltering in place as they await information about ways out of the country. Cell phone minutes, which are usually purchased on an ad-hoc basis, will soon run out for most Afghans, as will food rations and access to cash. 

We implore President Biden to urgently prioritize the following:

• Facilitate the evacuation of Afghans and Americans together by enabling and facilitating travel to the Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul and other border crossings, providing direct evacuation flights, continuing consular processing at the airport, and providing necessary information to evacuees.
• Evacuate Afghan allies and at-risk populations to U.S. territory, including by expediting Special Immigrant Visas and refugee applications through the U.S. resettlement program. Particularly for women and their families who are targets, the path to protection, even under Priority 2 designation, is often inaccessible. Women leaders, former members of government, human rights defenders, activists, LGBTQ* individuals, religious minorities, students, and recent graduates must also be prioritized in evacuation efforts.
• Surge adjudication and processing resources to ensure bureaucracy does not get in the way of evacuation efforts. 
• Facilitate the humanitarian parole of Afghans into the U.S. using DHS parole authority, either at ports-of-entry or in advance, set the FY 2022 refugee admissions goal at 125,000, and designate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Afghans already in the U.S. 
• Call for an emergency session of the UN Security Council and propose a strong civilian and atrocity protection/observer mandate. The Administration must work with international and bilateral partners to establish a security and humanitarian corridor to facilitate evacuation and delivery of humanitarian aid.

We urge all Members of Congress to:

• Issue congressional authority to the State Department (PRM) and Health and Human Services Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) to provide reception and placement assistance for Afghans paroled into the U.S. 
• Allocate funding and resources for resettlement for those able to evacuate. The current levels are insufficient to meet the requirements of U.S. and regional refugee resettlement.
• Support and provide resources to women, youth, and other civil society and human rights members who choose to remain in Afghanistan.

We stand ready to welcome Afghan refugees into our states and communities. 

Sincerely,