Monday Morning Update -- August 25, 2025
Abbey Gate anniversary, Enduring Welcome Act,
Tomorrow, August 26th, marks the 4th anniversary of the Abbey Gate bombing at Kabul Airport where 13 American servicemembers and more than 170 Afghans were killed in a tragic terror attack. AfghanEvac endeavors every day to honor their memories by working to ensure that our government keeps the promise it made – and which our servicemembers made – to our wartime allies.
Last week, we saw the introduction of a piece of legislation in the House, with broad bipartisan support, that would help do just that: H.R. 4995, the Enduring Welcome Act officially has over 25 co-sponsors and counting, from both sides of the aisle.
Lead Authors: Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-CA), Michael McCaul (R-TX), Dina Titus (D-NV), Mike Lawler (R-NY)
Original Cosponsors: Reps. Scott Peters (D-CA), Dan Crenshaw (R-NY), Gregory Meeks (D-NY), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), Ami Bera (D-CA), Zach Nunn (R-IA), Sarah McBride (D-DE), Brad Sherman (D-CA), Julie Johnson (D-TX), Hank Johnson (D-GA), Greg Stanton (D-AZ), Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), Joaquin Castro (D-TX), Bill Keating (D-MA), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC)
Cosponsors: Reps. Michael Baumgartner (R-WA), Mike Levin (D-CA), Aumua Amata Coleman Radewagen (R-AS), Jerry Nadler (D-NY), Sara Jacobs (D-CA)
If passed, this legislation will codify not only the existence, but the functions, of the Coordinator for Afghan Relocation Efforts (CARE), and would compel the Executive branch to put back in place the infrastructure needed to restart relocation operations. The Enduring Welcome Act gives the Coordinator the clear statutory authority to:
Support voluntary departures of Afghans seeking to leave Afghanistan.
Lead interagency coordination on vetting, security, and case processing for Afghan allies, working with DHS and the Department of Defense.
Facilitate relocation and resettlement logistics in partnership with U.S. resettlement agencies.
Address family reunification barriers — especially for U.S. servicemembers and veterans separated from loved ones.
Coordinate integration support, including trauma recovery and medical care.
Maintain a secure central database to track applicants, beneficiaries, and relocated individuals for transparency and accountability.
Report regularly to Congress on progress, challenges, and case status.
The bill does not expand the Coordinator’s functions beyond what the Coordinator was doing from inception — rather, it codifies and details these responsibilities in law so they cannot simply be eliminated by administrative choice.
In addition to a growing list of Congressional supporters, a variety of organizations have also signed on to endorse the Enduring Welcome Act:
AfghanEvac • Task Force Argo • Vet Voice Foundation • Hearts and Homes for Refugees • Keeping our Promise, Inc • Church World Service • World Relief • Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America • Massachusetts Afghan Alliance • The Lamia Afghan Foundation • ArtLords • World Hazara Council USA • Honor the Promise • FAER Afghan Evacuation and Resettlement Working Group • Afghan Village San Antonio • Eileen Murphy Foundation • Wise Women Advising • Interfaith Council for New Americans in Westchester • First Parish Concord Immigration Justice Task Force • Tucson Afghan Community • Greensboro Interfaith Immigrant Justice Coalition • Afghan American Community Center • International Institute of New England • Afghan Family Services
Your organization can sign on to endorse as well via this link: https://afghanevac.org/enduring-welcome-act/#endorse
In Pakistan, we are hearing rumors that the list of Enduring Welcome-eligible Afghans, which had previously been shared with the Government of Pakistan, has been leaked. AfghanEvac cannot verify whether that is accurate, or whether any list that has been leaked was the actual list shared earlier by the U.S. government, but we understand that the possibility is causing a lot of fear among Afghans in that country. In addition, Afghan deportations out of Pakistan not only continue, but have surged in recent days, ahead of the September 1st deadline set by the government of Pakistan. AfghanEvac will continue to monitor both of these situations closely and provide any updates we get.
We also know that senior Senate Foreign Relations Committee (SFRC) staff visited with Afghans in CAS last week. While U.S. government officials have visited CAS previously under this Administration, this is the first time we’ve heard that anyone actually met with guests still stuck there — an indication of the different approaches being taken by the legislative branch versus the executive branch. Currently, nearly 1500 Afghans remain in limbo at the CARE-managed site in Doha, more than half of whom are women and children. No government plan for their ultimate disposition has been shared, although we know some in the Trump Administration have advocated for repatriation of those individuals – a sure death sentence for our allies. We are grateful that the legislative branch seems to be treating this situation with the compassion and seriousness it deserves.
The situations in Pakistan and at CAS underscore even more how critical it is that the U.S. government come up with a holistic and forward-leaning Afghanistan policy to provide information, clarity, and a pathway to Afghan allies around the world, as quickly as possible.
By the numbers (current as of July 29, 2025)
Consular Track (SIV focused)
Applicants with COM approval – ~178,000
Of that 178,00 – 34,000 are Principal Applicants and 144,000 are derivatives (family)
The number of SIVs issued since 9/2021 – 77,232, for 17,473 PAs and 59,759 derivatives
Number of SIV principal applicant visas remaining: ~9,000
Applicants at COM awaiting decision – ~45,000
Average number of SIVs processing per month – ~200 per month since January 2020, prior to that it was a few thousand a month
Refugee track
There remain about 60,000 Afghans in the refugee track (P1/P2/P3/DS4317) across the world stuck in limbo due to executive order 14163 and the travel ban presidential proclamation. This includes family of active duty military, family reunification cases, and more.
What we’re reading:
U.S. military vets are helping Afghans fight deportation – BBC
U.S. lawmakers push Enduring Welcome Act to support stranded Afghan allies – Khaama Press
Lawmakers announce legislation to restore office for Afghan relocation – Military Times
Afghan refugees stranded in Pakistan as hopes to move to third country fade following global policy shifts – The Tribune
Repatriation of Afghan PoR Cardholders Speeds Up Ahead of Deadline – TOLO News
Deportations of Afghan migrants from Pakistan surge, data shows – AMU TV
I Am Alive, but I Am Not Living’: Four Years After the Taliban’s Return, Afghan Women Judges Go Deeper Underground – Ms. Magazine
More than 200,000 Afghan allies without options as resettlement ends (Part Two) – KPBS (Part One here)
FIRST LOOK: Bipartisan House Bill Would Restore Relocation Efforts for Afghan War Allies – Migrant Insider
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