Oregon becomes latest state to offer help in resettling Afghan refugees

Oregon became the latest state on Wednesday to offer assistance in resettling Afghan refugees, as thousands of citizens look to flee the nation amid the Taliban’s takeover.

“As we watch the current situation unfold in Afghanistan, Oregon stands ready to help the federal government resettle Afghan refugee families,” Oregon Gov. Kate Brown (D) wrote in a statement.

At least nine other states have pledged support for helping Afghan refugees relocate in the U.S. since the Taliban seized Kabul on Sunday: California, Iowa, Maryland, Massachusetts, South Carolina, Utah, Vermont, Virginia and Wisconsin.

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani fled the country Sunday, as the Taliban was advancing on Kabul, entering the presidential palace with what appeared to be no resistance. He later said he left Afghanistan to avoid potential clashes with the Taliban and prevent future bloodshed.

He and his family are now in the United Arab Emirates on “humanitarian grounds,” according to the country’s ministry of foreign affairs.

Thousands of Afghans are now scrambling to leave the country out of fear of once again living under Taliban rule. The group has said it plans to rule peacefully, but many are concerned for the future, including its imposing severe restrictions on women.

The U.S. has already evacuated more than 3,200 people from Afghanistan, according to CNN. The Pentagon on Tuesday said it is working to ramp up those efforts with the goal of having one flight leave from Kabul per hour, which would allow the military to pull between 5,000 and 9,000 people from the country per day.

The Biden administration has thus far allocated $500 million in additional funds for relocating Afghan refugees, including special immigrant visa (SIV) applicants.

The White House said the money was allotted to meet “unexpected urgent refugee and migration needs” and for “the purpose of meeting unexpected urgent refugee and migration needs of refugees, victims of conflict, and other persons at risk as a result of the situation in Afghanistan.”

The Pentagon has set aside three facilities to house SIV applicants in the United States: Fort Lee in Virginia, Fort Bliss in Texas and Fort McCoy in Wisconsin.

Brown, in her statement on Wednesday, said, “Oregon is ready to welcome any and all Afghans who would make our state their home.”

“In Oregon, we welcome refugees from around the world, recognizing that resettlement is a lifeline our country provides for survivors of violence and oppression,” she added, specifically citing hardships women, equal rights advocates and members of the LGBTQIA+ communities have faced in Afghanistan.

She also said she is “hopeful” that the Biden administration will “lift refugee admission caps and take other emergency humanitarian actions to save lives.”

“It’s critical that the United States take steps to evacuate as many people in danger from Afghanistan as quickly as possible, including expediting the visa approval process, particularly for those Afghans and their families who have risked their lives in service of this country,” she added.