Mariko Hirose, IRAP Litigation Director, addresses journalists at an outdoor press conference. She is surrounded by several journalists with cameras, microphones and notepads. She has straight, shoulder length black hair and wears a white blouse and black blazer.

News & Resources

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Jun 28, 2024

New Lawsuit: Children of Afghan Allies Should Be Eligible for SIVs

The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected the U.S. government's attempt to avoid accountability in Afghan & Iraqi Allies v. Blinken, a class action lawsuit challenging the U.S. government's failure to adjudicate Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) applications in a timely manner. The International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP) and Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer US LLP represent a class of Afghan and Iraqi nationals who worked for the United States’ missions in their home countries and have SIV applications pending longer than the congressionally-prescribed nine month timeline.

Press Release

Jun 12, 2024

SIV Victory: Court of Appeals Rejects U.S. Government’s Attempt to Abandon Afghan and Iraqi Allies

The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected the U.S. government's attempt to avoid accountability in Afghan & Iraqi Allies v. Blinken, a class action lawsuit challenging the U.S. government's failure to adjudicate Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) applications in a timely manner. The International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP) and Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer US LLP represent a class of Afghan and Iraqi nationals who worked for the United States’ missions in their home countries and have SIV applications pending longer than the congressionally-prescribed nine month timeline.

Press Release

Mar 20, 2024

IRAP Applauds Congressional Action to Extend SIV Program

Yesterday, Congressional negotiators confirmed that a bipartisan funding bill will authorize 12,000 additional Afghan Special Immigrant Visas (SIVs) and extend the program through 2026. Without action, the number of authorized Special Immigrant Visas would run out before the end of the year, leaving hundreds of thousands of Afghan allies and their families with no pathway to safety.

Press Release

Nov 2, 2023

IRAP Calls for Immediate Halt to Forced Removals of Afghans from Pakistan

The International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP) condemns the government of Pakistan’s forcible return of Afghan refugees to Taliban-controlled Afghanistan. This campaign of deportation and intimidation violates international law and endangers the lives of countless refugees, including IRAP’s clients.

Press Release

Sep 26, 2023

Standing with Afghan Allies: Five Steps the U.S. State Department Must Take to Fix the Afghan SIV Program

The State Department must immediately reform the initial stage of the Afghan Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) program in which applicants obtain employment verification—otherwise known as Chief of Mission (COM) approval—before more Afghans die waiting for the United States to fulfill its promise to them.

Publication

Aug 30, 2023

Two Years After Military Withdrawal, IRAP Reflects on Continued U.S. Responsibility to At-Risk Afghans

Today marks two years since the United States military presence in Afghanistan ended and the Taliban regained control of the country. IRAP has long advocated for efficient and accessible pathways to safety for at-risk Afghans—including SIV applicants—and continues to provide direct legal representation, up-to-date legal resources, litigation, and policy advocacy to and on behalf of Afghan refugees.

Press Release

Aug 30, 2023

Two Years After the U.S. Withdrawal from Afghanistan: What’s at Stake in the Government’s Appeal of Afghan & Iraqi Allies…

In the two years since the last military flight took off from Afghanistan, the U.S. Government has quietly tried to wash its hands of responsibility toward the Afghan people it left behind in a country ruled by the Taliban and ravaged by decades of U.S.-led conflict.

Blog Post

Mar 15, 2023

“We Were Robbed”: Advocates React to Afghan Humanitarian Parole FOIA Findings

The results of a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request filed by the International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP) and American Immigration Council (AIC) show that the United States effectively abandoned Afghan HP applicants, even while it profited from their application fees. 

Blog Post

Dec 20, 2022

IRAP Urges Congress to Pass Afghan Adjustment Act

Yesterday, the Senate Appropriations Committee released text for the 2023 Omnibus Appropriations bill that does not include the Afghan Adjustment Act (AAA), which would provide a pathway to permanent lawful status for tens of thousands of Afghans who were evacuated to the United States during the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.

Press Release

Aug 30, 2022

One Year After U.S. Withdrawal from Afghanistan, IRAP Reflects on Continued U.S. Obligations to At-Risk Afghans

On August 30, 2021, the final U.S. military flight left Kabul airport, completing a chaotic evacuation process from Afghanistan. One year later, the United States has yet to fulfill its moral, congressional, and court-ordered obligations to protect Afghans who remain at risk, including Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) program applicants. 

Press Release

Aug 9, 2022

IRAP Welcomes the Congressional Introduction of the Afghan Adjustment Act

Today, members of Congress announced the introduction of the Afghan Adjustment Act, which would provide a pathway to permanent lawful status for tens of thousands of Afghans who were evacuated to the United States during the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. The International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP) welcomes and endorses the life-altering pathways to citizenship included in this bill and thanks its sponsors for their leadership.

Press Release
Photo of a young Afghan girl in the foreground on a couch, with a young boy behind the couch out of focus.

Aug 9, 2022

A Year After The Withdrawal from Afghanistan, the United States Has Yet to Provide Parolees a Pathway to Citizenship

A year after the withdrawal of the last U.S. troops from Afghanistan, hundreds of thousands of Afghans are still in limbo, living in uncertainty and fear.

Blog Post