Maryland, Georgia, and Virginia have said that they are happy to welcome more Afghan refugees into their states, without express consent o...
Maryland, Georgia, and Virginia have said that they are happy to welcome more Afghan refugees into their states, without express consent of their constituents, of course.
Maryland is already set to take 180 Afghan refugees and Virginia Governor Ralph Northam said his state “will continue to serve as safe harbor” for refugees.
In Georgia, Republican Governor Brian Kemp has also signaled that they want to take them in.
“Joe Biden has broken his word to the nation, the Afghans and the world, but we as Americans cannot break our word to those who lent aid to us in our mission to defend freedom and bring justice to those who attacked our country on September 11,” Kemp said in a statement.
Maryland said that Americans have a “moral obligation” to take in the foreigners who were fighting for their own country overseas.
“Many of these Afghan citizens — our allies — bravely risked their lives to provide invaluable support for many years to our efforts as interpreters and support staff, and we have a moral obligation to help them,” Maryland’s Republican Governor Larry Hogan said.
“If you are in need of assistance — or know someone who is — contact our Office of Refugees and Asylees immediately,” he added.
In Virginia, Democrat Governor Northam said they are prepared to take “thousands” more.
“Last week I was honored to meet some of the thousands of Afghan citizens and families who have sought refuge at Fort Lee in Virginia. I’m coordinating with DC and have made it clear: we’re ready and willing to take thousands more,” Northam tweeted.
Likewise, California has signaled that they want to take more as well.
“We’re a state of refuge,” California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) said at a rally on Monday, the Hill reports. He added that he is “proud of the fact over the last decade California has taken in more refugees than any other state in America.”
The Hill reports that over the past few weeks, the U.S. has received just 2,000 SIV holders, but over 80,000 people could qualify for the visa.
Meanwhile, the America First wing of the Republican Party has argued against taking thousands of people from the region, who will likely be poorly vetted and leave us at risk for another terrorist attack.
https://twitter.com/ColumbiaBugle/status/1427436463554240515
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