Lifeline for Refugees: The Urgent Need for the Immigration Reform

After spending time with several Afghan families over the summer, I was inspired to publish an opinion editorial, which I'm excited to share here on my blog:

As the whole world watched in horror the images of desperate Afghans clutching to departing U.S. military planes in August 2021, my mind went back to my family's journey to America. Not very different from those Afghans, my parents had escaped a war-torn Middle Eastern country for a safer route and a new life. Today's headlines focus on border crossing and immigration policies, so issues concerning the welfare of Middle Eastern refugees and immigrants in the United States have grown increasingly elaborate and often invisible. As the Biden administration wrestles with new measures to curtail asylum seekers, thousands of Afghan evacuees are in uncertainty without a clear path to permanent residency. This precarious situation speaks to the broader challenges that Middle Eastern immigrants have faced in America: one of hope, hardship, and the desperate crying out for reform.  This is an inhumane reality that millions of refugees all over the world have to confront: fleeing from their homes just to leave behind their lifestyles and seek a new beginning in the US. That suffering—the families' splitting at borders, the continued inability to stabilize their lives in the US after coming in—has pointed to the need for proper immigration reform.

This issue resonates with me as I have volunteered to help refugee families, where I have interacted with many immigrant families who shared with me their challenges since their arrival in the U.S. One situation that touched me was last month when I met a family from Kabul, Afghanistan. They had fled their war-torn homeland in hopes of finding safety and stability in America. But instead, a new set of challenges awaited them. They struggled to secure stable employment, affordable housing, and basic needs like household items and clean clothes. Their children lacked toys and educational materials; the family had no car to get either to work or school. Hearing these stories in person made me realize that the problems of this family are not merely isolated incidents but rather part of a systemic problem affecting many refugee families.

I realized that our immigration laws are not a matter of governmental implementation, but lifelines that can either save or ruin lives. I witnessed all this suffering and decided to stand up for comprehensive immigration reform, including laws providing clear pathways to permanent residency for refugees. Because of this commitment to advocacy, I chose to support the Temporary Family Visitation Act and other legislation attempting to make a difference in the lives of immigrants and refugees. My family and community instilled the values of justice and compassion within me, and so I will keep on fighting for them. 

The existing immigration policy grossly affects the Iranian American community, as it does many other immigrant groups in the United States. I hope that through fair and compassionate reform, the environment for all immigrants and refugees to this great country can be made much more just and welcoming.

Those summer afternoons I spent with various Afghan families reminded me of how we can change lives. Our immigration policies can be lifelines, and through legislation, we have the opportunity to create a future where every refugee and immigrant may find hope and stability in the United States.