Navigating the Immigration System: Legal Service Providers Share Their Experience Assisting Afghan Evacuees

In 2021, the US government granted humanitarian parole on arrival for over 70,000 Afghan evacuees.Unlike during past humanitarian crises, Congress has failed to pass legislation adjusting the status of parolees to lawful permanent resident status. Humanitarian parole and the lack of an adjustment of status for Afghan evacuees leaves them in a perpetual cycle of uncertainty. Afghan refugees on humanitarian parole can apply for asylum, but the process can be challenging, considering that many evacuees who arrived have limited English proficiency, low or no formal education, little knowledge of the US legal system and culture, and recently experienced traumatic events. Obtaining the assistance of legal service providers (LSPs) offers Afghan evacuees the best chance of success in navigating the process. This brief shares what we learned from LSPs serving Afghan evacuees.