The latest effort to help tens of thousands of Afghans who have supported the 20-year U.S. mission in their country is in jeopardy due to a sweeping new bill spearheaded by Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), according to former military leaders and advocates.
More than 40 retired soldiers officers ― including four-star generals including Stanley McChrystal ― and more than 20 veterans groups sent letters to congressional leaders of both parties this week expressing “strong opposition” to Cotton’s legislation.
“His introduction betrays American veterans by undermining our efforts over the past two years,” the messages claim.
When the 2021 Taliban takeover of Afghanistan put US-linked Afghans at risk and forced many to flee, Afghan supporters began urging Congress to pass a law called the Afghan Adjustment Law. The proposal would help Afghan evacuees gain permanent residency in America through additional screening, push the State Department to better support US partners still in Afghanistan, and make more Afghans eligible for special visas.
Supporters of the bill in the Senate and House reintroduced that last week. Lawmakers and activists hope to attach it to the annual defense spending bill ― noting that it has more GOP support than ever before and that over the next few months many of the 80,000 Afghans evacuated to the United States in 2021 lose their temporary status to live and work in the country.
But on the same day, Cotton, an immigration hawk and veteran himself, unveiled its own legislation: the American Security Guarantee and Afghan Allies Protection Act.
Cotton’s speech is supported only by Republicans, including Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), who torpedo the latest attempt to pass the Afghan Adjustment Act. And it would be much harder for any president to provide a form of temporary protection, known as parole, to foreign citizens, as President Joe Biden did for Afghan evacuees.
Critics of Cotton’s scheme say it would distract from the bipartisan alternative, making it harder for Congress to deliver overdue aid to Afghans promised American loyalty.
“This is an anti-immigration bill that passes itself off as… useful to Afghans,” said Arash Azizzada, co-founder of the Afghan-American organization Afghans for a Better Tomorrow.
Cotton’s legislation would not “significantly increase” the number of special visas for U.S.-linked Afghans or “adequately support those who remain,” the retired military leaders and veterans claimed in their letters to Congress. Instead, they said, he would focus on “issues unrelated to the southwestern border.”
Biden has used the parole powers that Cotton is trying to reduce to redirect migration away from the border and provide legal alternatives for migrants from Latin America and Ukraine. As the 2024 election approaches, Republicans are stepping up attacks on the president over border security.
“This is not the appropriate place for full-scale immigration reform,” the former soldiers wrote. “Our focus now must be on protecting our Afghan allies. These allies have been waiting for years for Congress to do its duty and honor the American promise to Afghanistan; they should not be used as pawns in a political debate on immigration.
Representatives for Cotton did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Azizzada said Cotton’s bet could “ensure that both bills sink”.
Supporters of vulnerable Afghans are focusing on the Senate for reform because the version of the annual defense bill that House Republicans passed this month did not include any boost for Afghans. If the equivalent Senate version includes some changes, it is possible that they will be included in the final draft of the defense legislation that House and Senate negotiators will have to agree to by the end of the year.
Defenders of the U.S.’s Afghan allies fear Cotton’s bill could shatter GOP engagement on the issue, turning it into a partisan issue.
His approach contains ‘a poison pill’ by targeting Biden’s parole powers, Aaron Reichlin-Melnick of the American Immigration Council tweeted. “It’s basically a ‘fuck you’ to any future ally who might find themselves in a similar situation.”
Two key Republicans who support the Afghan Adjustment Act, the Senses. Lindsey Graham (SC) and Thom Tillis (NC), are also co-sponsors of Cotton’s bill. Spokespersons for the two did not respond to requests for comment over concerns it would undermine the Afghan Adjustment Act.
Other proponents of the law hope it will ultimately emerge as the reasonable and clear choice for lawmakers on both sides.
“I think we’re aligned in terms of goals, and I hope he and others will support this measure,” Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) told HuffPost on Thursday when asked about Cotton’s effect on the Afghan Adjustment Act.
“This bill does good for the Afghans who have worked alongside our troops and shows the world that the United States of America — when we make a promise, we keep it,” Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) said Thursday in the Senate, noting that fellow Republican, Sen. Markwayne Mullin (Okla.), had recently agreed to support the legislation.
Igor Bobic contributed reporting.