Excerpt of letter
Dear President Biden, Vice President Harris, Secretary Becerra, Secretary Blinken, and Secretary Mayorkas:
In line with the Biden administration’s vision of a fair, functional, and humane immigration system, we write to share our recommendations regarding support to our new Afghan and Haitian neighbors seeking to rebuild their lives. The conditions in both countries are extremely volatile, and it is incumbent upon the United States to implement policies that recognize this fact. We respectfully recommend that the Biden administration and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) create a categorical humanitarian parole program for Afghans and Haitians, and fully restore the Cuban/Haitian Entrant Program; and commit federal government funding to help localities and communities provide legal services and housing supports for both populations to comfortably resettle in the United States.
Urgent Need for Humanitarian Relief
In cases where there is an “urgent humanitarian reason” or “significant public benefit” to allowing someone to temporarily enter the United States, humanitarian parole may be used. In the case of both Afghanistan and Haiti, the need is immense for a categorical program that considers parole for all Afghans and Haitians who meet pre-set criteria. Afghanistan is facing a humanitarian crisis due to severe drought, recurrent natural disasters, the COVID-19 pandemic, and most critically the destructive impact of Taliban rule, including violence, unemployment, a banking and economic crisis, and lack of access to education and jobs for women – half the population of the country. Haiti has one of the highest levels of food insecurity in the world, compounded by recent powerful earthquakes, hurricanes, political instability, and violence. According to the World Food Programme, half the population—nearly 4.3 million people—do not have enough to eat.