This May, the Biden administration extended a reprieve to the 76,000 Afghans it evacuated from Kabul two years ago: They will be able to stay in America for another two years. Some may think that Afghan immigrants/refugees like myself should be happy—even grateful—for this news. But as we approach World Refugee Day on June 20th, that is not how I’m feeling.

The U.S. helped to create the current landscape, in which thousands of Afghans who supported the American military, were then forced to flee their homes. And yet most of these people lack official refugee status here. Instead, America offered them a temporary two-year band-aid called “humanitarian parole.” Around 52,000 Afghans have applied, but just 760 people have been approved. An extension of that band-aid feels entirely inadequate. My brave countrymen and women should be starting the hard work of building new lives; instead, they are living on borrowed time, deferring deportation.

Their temporary status is part of what the U.S. has called “Operation Allies Welcome.” If that’s the case, it’s time we think about what “welcome” really means.

I came here as an Afghan refugee and immigrant in 2019. Since 2022, I’ve been a NorCal Refugee Organizer, working to identify what needs exist in refugee communities, and building solid and strong connections between them and local advocacy organizations. The goal is to ensure that their rights are protected and they have equitable access to services as U.S. residents. But I’ve also experienced firsthand how hard it is to build a life while your future is held hostage to politics. Short-term parole status makes it difficult to land a stable job, especially in your professional field. Without that, it’s difficult to integrate civically and economically.

Studies have shown the benefits of official refugee status—i.e. one that provides a clear pathway to citizenship. As a demographic, refugee households eventually earn more than the median American household. They start businesses at high rates. And they naturalize in large numbers. A 2017 study showed that it took about a decade for some refugee populations to move up the economic ladder from primarily blue collar and service jobs to white collar positions. When you’re literally starting from scratch, that’s not so long.

The question is whether today’s Afghan evacuees will even get that chance. Here on the ground, we are doing all we can for this community. State Senator Scott Wiener has introduced SB 85, a bill to extend case management in order to provide more time for people to access benefits like driver’s licenses and legal documents for housing and employment. The bill aims to improve outcomes for refugees by offering additional support during their resettlement process.

Best case scenario, they’ll end up like other temporary protected status holders, asked to continually renew their status, fearing they’ll be expelled. Worst case scenario, they’ll be scheduled for deportation just as they’re finding their feet. It took my husband and I a full year to even begin to feel settled. Parole is only two years.

A better solution does exist. The Afghan Adjustment Act, first introduced last August, was based on the roadmap that helped Vietnamese and Cuban refugees decades before. The proposal should have given Afghan evacuees a path toward permanent legal residency. But even with bipartisan co-sponsors—including five Republicans in the Senate—and wide public support, the proposal still never got off the ground.

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It’s hard to understand why Congress won’t act. When certain politicians expressed concerns over vetting Afghan refugees, the already-comprehensive security measures were further improved. What else is standing in the way?

Afghan refugees—whether legally defined or not– deserve safety, security, and the right to rebuild their lives without fear of further disruption. What will happen to them after another two-years in purgatory? Will they be deported? Sent back to possible death? Allowed to stay? Nothing is certain.

Temporary parole and welcome are not the same things. If we’re truly committed to our allies—if we want them to feel welcomed here—then we must finish the job that we started.

It is a time to reaffirm our commitment to providing safety, protection, and support to those forced to flee their homes. Together, let us stand in solidarity with refugees, ensuring they are embraced, empowered, and given the opportunity to rebuild their lives with dignity and hope.

Kawser Amine is a women’s rights advocate, sports philanthropist, Author, Speaker,  and former National soccer player who immigrated to the U.S. from Afghanistan in 2019. Amine is a Founder/CEO of Women’s Solidarity for Peace and Leadership.