I am a mother and educator who is so grateful to live here in the US with its opportunities and freedoms, and also so grateful to our Afghan allies who helped us for two decades with the war in their country. When we brought them here, we assured them we would help them and keep them safe, just as they did for us. It would be immoral to not keep those promises to our Afghan allies and friends.

These are real people, many with children, who sacrificed to help us. Some might say that these Afghans should just use the available processes such as Special Immigrant Visas or other asylum and refugee pathways. But many aren’t able to obtain SIVs, which require specific paperwork that many were instructed to burn or leave behind while fleeing. Our asylum processing has a backlog of years at this point, and refugee pathways are not available to people already here in the United States.

I am glad to see so many senators and representatives on both sides trying to right this wrong with the Afghan Adjustment Act (H.R. 8685/S.4787), including Utah’s Representative Curtis. I am hoping Senators Romney, Lee, and my representative Burgess Owens will join them. To honor the sacrifices of our military brothers and sisters who served in Afghanistan, the very least we can do is to keep safe those who escaped the Taliban, and bring others who qualify to safety as well through the secure pathways the bill will provide.

When I wrote to my legislators asking them to support this bill, Senator Lee’s response mentioned he feels the vetting process for Afghan refugees wasn’t sufficient. In fact, the AAA includes an extra round of vetting equal to that required of refugees, including an in-person interview. In other words, the AAA actually addresses any security concerns legislators like Lee might have.

Americans sacrificed decades to help the people of Afghanistan, many dying for the cause. Veterans have thrown their support behind this key piece of legislation. I hope Congress is able to see it the same way.

Amara Bray, Saratoga Springs

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