Sustain Legal Protections for Parolees

Ask Congress to Insist that Our Country Protect Afghans & Others Facing Persecution

In recent weeks, large numbers of individuals who entered the United States lawfully and who have always been lawfully present in the country received stark notices from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security: “It is time for you to leave the United States,” the message begins. The message goes on to threaten criminal prosecution, fines and deportation to those who do not self-deport “immediately.” Among the many who received this notice are Afghan converts to Christianity, for whom deportation to the Taliban would mean a high likelihood of persecution and even death. Other Afghans, as well as Haitian, Venezuelans and others, who have been lawfully present with either Temporary Protected Status or humanitarian parole have also been informed that their legal protections have or will soon be terminated, making them vulnerable to deportation to countries facing severe humanitarian crises.

At the same time, Afghan Christians and others who have been persecuted for their faith, ethnicity, association with the US military or other reasons who were waiting abroad to be lawfully resettled as refugees are now in a holding pattern, as the U.S. refugee resettlement program has been indefinitely suspended.

While Congress did not implement these policy changes, they can convey the message to the Department of Homeland Security and the White House that Americans – including American Christians – want them to reconsider these policies, cancelling these messages threatening deportation and resuming the legal refugee resettlement process.