WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) released the statement below following the announcement of 12,000 additional Afghan Special Immigrant Visas and program reauthorization being included in the Fiscal Year 2024 State and Foreign Operations funding package.

“Giving our Afghan allies a chance to apply for legal status is the right and necessary thing to do,” said Klobuchar. “That is why we continue to work to pass the bipartisan Afghan Adjustment Act, and why I welcome the inclusion of 12,000 additional Afghan Special Immigrant Visas and reauthorization of the program through 2026 in the funding bill that will help our Afghan allies find safety and build a life in America.”

Klobuchar joined Senator Shaheen and a dozen Senate colleagues in a March 13 letter to Senate leadership calling for the inclusion of these visas in the State and Foreign Operations appropriations bill. 

Klobuchar leads the bipartisan Afghan Adjustment Act which would allow Afghans who sought refuge in the United States to apply for permanent legal residency after undergoing additional vetting. 

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