Amid the chaos that followed the U.S. pullout of Afghanistan on Aug. 15, 2021, the Biden administration declared that evacuated Afghans would be allowed to enter the U.S. via humanitarian parole. The initiative would provide them with temporary access to American soil, but not with a pathway to permanent residency.
In the weeks that followed, approximately 70,000 Afghans seeking to flee the returning Taliban government were evacuated. Nearly half had worked with the U.S. government or American nongovernmental organizations, some were family members, while others had no prior affiliation.
After going through security and health screenings in third countries and on domestic military bases, the vast majority were resettled to numerous states – with Texas, Virginia and California being the top destinations.
