KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – US lawmakers have introduced a bipartisan bill to restore Afghan relocation efforts, accelerate family reunifications, and honor America’s commitment to its Afghan allies left behind after the withdrawal.
The “Enduring Welcome Act” was introduced Tuesday by Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-Calif.), with Reps. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.), Dina Titus (D-Nev.), Michael McCaul (R-Texas), and several others are signing on as co-sponsors, according to a congressional statement.
If passed, the bill would reestablish the Office of the Coordinator for Afghan Relocation Efforts (CARE), set up a secure database to track refugee cases, and accelerate family reunifications for Afghans who supported the US government during its two-decade war in Afghanistan. It would also require the State Department to provide quarterly reports to Congress on Special Immigrant Visa (SIV), refugee, and parole cases.
The lawmakers say the measure is designed to restore America’s commitments after the Trump administration shut down the relocation program. No evacuation flights for Afghans have taken place since January 20, leaving thousands of families stranded.
Kamlager-Dove said honoring America’s commitments to Afghan allies should never be a partisan issue. “This is about moral responsibility, national honor, and global credibility,” she said. “We will not turn our backs on the brave Afghans who risked everything to protect our service members.”
Rep. Lawler echoed that message, saying the US has a “moral obligation to uphold our word, protect those who protected us, and preserve our nation’s credibility for future generations.”
McCaul, the former chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, called the bill a way to correct past failures. “Tens of thousands were abandoned during the chaotic withdrawal, left to face horrific violence and reprisal killings at the hands of the Taliban,” he said. “This legislation is about honoring our promise and standing by those who stood by us.”
Veterans’ groups welcomed the legislation. Shawn VanDiver, president of the #AfghanEvac coalition, called it long overdue. “This program, built by veterans to bring our Afghan allies to safety, was tragically shut down,” he said. “Congress now has the chance to restore it and show unity in honoring our allies and veterans.”
#AfghanEvac estimates that about 250,000 Afghans who worked with or supported the US remain stranded across 90 countries, waiting for relocation.
The U.S. evacuated tens of thousands of Afghans during the Kabul airlift in 2021 and in the years that followed. But thousands remain stuck in Afghanistan, fearing Taliban retaliation, or in neighboring countries like Pakistan, where they face deportation.
In 2023, the Associated Press reported that around 150,000 SIV applications remained unprocessed. Another 27,000 Afghans applied through P1 and P2 refugee programs, designed for aid workers, journalists, and others who supported democracy and independent media. Only a small number have been relocated to the US.
