In the weeks since the shooting of members of the National Guard in Washington, D.C., the heinous actions of one person have been used as pretense for the introduction and aggressive implementation of policies that affect the safety and well-being of hundreds of thousands of refugees, asylum seekers, and immigrants.
In particular, the Afghan community was immediately targeted, when all immigration processing and the issuance of visas were halted, including Special Immigrant Visas (SIVs) for people who supported the U.S. military in Afghanistan.
HIAS is heartbroken by the senseless violence in D.C., and our thoughts are with the victims, their families, and all those impacted. Simultaneously, we stand in unwavering solidarity with the Afghan community. For years, we have supported thousands of Afghan refugees as they rebuilt their lives in the United States, especially after the Taliban takeover in August 2021.
As a Jewish organization, we understand all too well what it means for an entire community to be targeted because of the actions of one individual. Today and every day, we remain committed to building a safer, more welcoming world for all.
Read on to learn more about our work to support Afghan refugees in the United States and around the world.
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As the world's oldest refugee agency, HIAS will always stand for refugees — no matter who is president. And we will do all we can to support our clients, every day, as we have for more than 120 years. Give with confidence to HIAS.
Immediate Response in 2021
In August 2021, the world witnessed a humanitarian crisis unfold in real time as the Taliban seized control of Afghanistan following the withdrawal of U.S. forces. Even before that moment, HIAS was actively advocating and preparing to help Afghans forced to flee their homes.
Between August 14 and 31, 2021, the Kabul Airlift became the largest military evacuation of refugees in history, with 122,000 people flown out of Afghanistan. More than 76,000 Afghans were brought to the United States, where most spent months living on eight military bases.
In August and September 2021, HIAS deployed over a dozen staff members to these military bases to assist with initial reception and processing, helping thousands of newly arrived evacuees take their first steps toward rebuilding their lives.
“Welcoming and processing so many people on U.S. soil in such a short period of time has never been attempted before,” wrote Andrea Gagne, HIAS’ Senior Program Manager for Private Sponsorship, in a reflection on her time at Ft. Bliss in Texas and Holloman Air Force Base in New Mexico. “It was not unusual for us to work nine or ten hours on base and then stay up late into the night back at our hotel figuring out operational logistics, filling out forms and paperwork in an effort to get everyone to their new homes and communities as quickly as possible.”
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Read MoreRefugee Resettlement for Afghans
In the months following the Taliban takeover, HIAS staff and resettlement partners worked tirelessly to welcome Afghan evacuees into communities across the U.S. HIAS and our resettlement partners ensure that refugees obtain vital services, including access to housing, food, and medical care, legal assistance, mental health care, economic training and support, enrollment in schools, and English classes.
More than 190,000 Afghans were resettled in the U.S. over the last four years, and HIAS is proud to have contributed to that effort, also serving Afghan refugees via our country offices around the world.
While most Afghan evacuees were resettled through the traditional refugee resettlement model, HIAS recognized that communities across the U.S. could assist in welcoming their new neighbors. In response, we launched Welcome Circles, a brand-new private sponsorship program that mobilized and empowered groups of volunteers to help arriving families rebuild their lives in the United States with essentials such as housing, food, language instruction, job mentoring, and mental health care. HIAS also worked with corporate partners like Airbnb and Apartment List to provide short-term housing.
“We’re so grateful for our sponsor circle and for HIAS,” Hasan, an Afghan refugee resettled by a HIAS Welcome Circle. “We lost everything in Afghanistan. We lost 20 years of progress. But now we hope we can be useful, and beneficial, to America — and we can give our son opportunities he wouldn’t have had back home.”
“[HIAS supported Afghan refugees] in an incredibly deep way, with organizational support and advice, frontline support for resettlement of Afghans, and deployment of staff to places of need, as well. And this impacted thousands of people. This all makes me so proud to be Jewish today,” Rabbi David Mason, Executive Director of HIAS+JCORE in the United Kingdom.
“This is the best opportunity for me, especially this house. It’s a nice building, secure, everything,” said Abdul, an Afghan refugee resettled by HIAS partner Jewish Family & Community Services East Bay. “I feel this house is my second house.”
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Read MoreLegal Support for Afghans
While some evacuees arrived in the U.S. with Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) or refugee status, both of which provide a pathway to permanent residency, the vast majority entered as humanitarian parolees. This temporary status does not guarantee such a pathway. To remain in the U.S., parolees must apply for asylum or an SIV, both complex processes burdened by significant backlogs and requiring specialized legal assistance. HIAS and our partners provided critical representation to help Afghan refugees obtain permanent status, connect to social services, and navigate a complex legal system. This is a priority that still continues to this day.
“HIAS, and having Shayan as my lawyer, are a big part of why I feel supported and comfortable here,” said Ahmad, an Afghan refugee HIAS has supported with legal support and social services. “It gave me hope again to be strong and continue on. Shayan supports our family, not only as a lawyer; he tries to support me emotionally and psychologically to be able to establish my life and take care of my family.”
Ongoing Support for Afghans
Today, HIAS continues to provide support to the Afghan community, which has faced exceptionally challenging circumstances.
When the Trump Administration ended resettlement of refugees on their first day in office, the pathway to safety was cut off for thousands of refugees. But since people with SIVs were still able to travel, HIAS rapidly adapted to help that population. Throughout the first 10 months of the Trump Administration, HIAS resettled hundreds of SIVs in partnership with our affiliate offices, Welcome Circles, and community volunteers around the country.
Throughout the country, we are supporting our Afghan clients with legal assistance and social service support, mental health care, and economic empowerment programs. We are supporting people through a moment when they are feeling the effects of policies that remove access to benefits or basic needs, prevent people from traveling or reuniting with family, and subject people to harsh and scary immigration enforcement measures.
While the Trump administration may have abandoned refugees, immigrants, and the Afghan community, HIAS never will. We stand in solidarity today and always.
Give today
As the world's oldest refugee agency, HIAS will always stand for refugees — no matter who is president. And we will do all we can to support our clients, every day, as we have for more than 120 years. Give with confidence to HIAS.
