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LAS Fights to Secure Humanitarian Parole for Afghan Infant

The Legal Aid Society is working to secure entry to the United States for Fatima, a baby from Afghanistan who is not even one year old, as reported by CBS News.

Fatima’s father and mother were granted humanitarian parole after the Taliban retook control of Afghanistan and are allowed to enter the country, but they are stranded in the United Arab Emirates because Fatima’s application has not been processed.  The family is part of an estimated 6,500 Afghan evacuees currently stuck at an apartment complex near Abu Dhabi.

Attorneys at The Legal Aid Society are asking U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to prioritize Fatima’s application based on her parents’ approved status and her age, and her significant ties to the U.S. Fatima has recently been losing weight, critically underscoring her need for a stable and healthy environment.

“We understand that USCIS has limited resources given the number of pending parole applications, but this situation is an exceptional circumstance,” said Elizabeth Rieser-Murphy an attorney representing Fatima and her family. “It is unfair and inhumane to keep this family in limbo.”