Divergent Journeys from Kabul and Kyiv: How Congress can Ensure Equal Pathway Programs for Parolees to the United States

Authors

Erika C. FirestoneFollow

Abstract

Scenes of Afghan citizens rushing United States military aircraft and handing their babies off to soldiers at the Kabul airport in August of 2021 shocked the conscience of the West. The Taliban entered Afghanistan’s capital city that month, completely unopposed, after twenty years of United States presence. As Kabul fell and the deadline for the United States’ withdrawal on August 30 approached, the streets outside of the airport grew crowded. People had no shelter from the scorching sun. A child-care center was created quickly after panic-stricken parents disappeared, leaving their children behind, hopeful that they would be delivered to safety. Reporter Jane Ferguson recounted, “A skinny boy . . . burst into tears when I asked him where his parents were. He didn’t know, but someone had written ‘USA’ on the back of his hand.”

Recommended Citation

Firestone, Erika C. (2024) "Divergent Journeys from Kabul and Kyiv: How Congress can Ensure Equal Pathway Programs for Parolees to the United States," Widener Commonwealth Law Review: Vol. 33: Iss. 2, Article 2.
Available at: https://cwldc.widener.edu/wclr/vol33/iss2/2