Ridge Runner Chronicles – January 18, 2023
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Will Afghans Get Deported?
By Bill Hoagland
I don’t know about you but to me, the manner in which we withdrew from Afghanistan in August 2021 was a national disgrace. Sure, we managed to get 85,000 Afghans evacuated and eventually 76,000 of those refugees were granted a temporary status here in the US, but we abandoned thousands more in Afghanistan and left them to deal with the Taliban on their own. Those left behind probably wish they never agreed to help us in the first place and with good reason. And now, believe it or not, there is a possibility that many of the Afghans who are here in the US on temporary status may end up being deported back to Afghanistan or to some third country.
When the 85,000 Afghans were initially evacuated, most were taken to US military facilities in Europe and subjected to extensive vetting and screening, after which 76,000 “cleared” Afghans were sent onto military facilities here in the US for medical screenings, vaccinations and on to resettlement facilities. Unfortunately, most of these Afghans do not qualify for “refugee status” or “Special Immigrant Visa status,” also known as the “green card visa.” Part of the problem is that the paperwork that would have confirmed that they had worked for the US in Afghanistan was intentionally destroyed before US troops vacated the country. The other problem is that many worked for the Afghan government, not the US government. For example, members of the Afghan Female Tactical Platoon, a group of Afghan females who volunteered to be trained as combat soldiers fighting alongside our troops, do not qualify for green card status because they technically were employed by the Afghanistan government, not by US forces.
Without the other options available to them, most Afghan refugees—actually over 90% of them–have been granted a so-called “humanitarian parole,” which allows them to remain in the US for two years from the date of entry. The two year grace period for these Afghans will expire this August. That means that unless Congress does something between now and August, these 70,000 Afghans on “humanitarian parole” will have to be deported back to Afghanistan or to some third country willing to take them. And what do you think would happen to the Afghan Female Tactical Platoon if we deported them back to Afghanistan and the Taliban? We don’t need to speculate; we know what would happen.
Congress could easily fix this. Last year, identical bills were introduced in the Senate (S 4787) and House of Representatives (H/R 8685) that basically would have allowed Afghans to stay here permanently. This legislation was entitled the “Afghan Advancement Act” but it never got out of committee in either body and I don’t know why there was so much opposition. One of the chief complaints, as I understand it, was that the Afghans had not been properly vetted. Really?
Meanwhile, at our southern border, there is basically no vetting or restriction at all. Sure makes a lot of sense, doesn’t it? Deport our allies who put their lives on the line for us and leave the doors wide-open for anyone but our allies.
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■ Bill Hoagland has practiced law in Alton for more than 50 years, but he has spent more than 70 years hunting, fishing and generally being in the great outdoors. His wife, Annie, shares his love of the outdoor life. Much of their spare time is spent on their farm in Calhoun County. Bill can be reached at billhoagland70@gmail.com.
