PA Headlines 8/23/21
HARRISBURG – Gov. Tom Wolf said Pennsylvania will do its part to welcome refugees from Afghanistan. The governor said on Twitter his administration is working with federal and local partners to help settle refugees. With the American military withdrawing and the Taliban gaining control of the country, tens of thousands of Afghan refugees are desperate to leave. Many aided U.S. military units or served as interpreters and fear for their lives if they can’t get out. “PA is in contact with federal and local partners to coordinate resources to resettle Afghan refugees seeking safety from violence,” Wolf said on Twitter. “Our commonwealth has long served as a refuge for those seeking peace and stability amid crisis, and we will continue to help in any way possible.”
U.S. Rep. Lloyd Smucker, a Republican from Lancaster County, urged constituents to contact his office if they need assistance or know anyone who needs help getting out of Afghanistan (here’s a link to a repatriation request). On Friday, Smucker also called for an investigation into all the decision making by President Joe Biden’s administration regarding the Afghanistan withdrawal. “I am calling for a thorough and immediate investigation into the decisions that were made by all of the officials involved in the process that led to the crisis we are currently seeing unfold in Afghanistan,” Smucker said in a statement. Other members of Pennsylvania’s congressional delegation, such as Democratic U.S. Reps. Brendan Boyle and Mary Gay Scanlon, have been working to get their constituents out of Afghanistan. Thousands of Americans remain in the country. The lawmakers encouraged anyone who knows someone having trouble getting out of Afghanistan to contact their offices.
The Pennsylvania Department of Human Services works with non-profit organizations that provide job training, instruction in English and other services to help refugees settle and build new lives. (If you’d like to help one of these non-profit groups aiding refugees, here’s a list. Contact the agencies directly.) Other governors, Republicans and Democrats, have also said they are ready and willing to welcome refugees from Afghanistan. Utah Gov. Spencer Cox wrote a letter to President Biden expressing his state’s desire to help. “I recognize Utah plays no direct role in shaping U.S. diplomatic or military policy, but we have a long history of welcoming refugees from around the world and helping them restart their lives in a new country,” Cox wrote. “We are eager to continue that practice and assist with the resettlement of individuals and families fleeing Afghanistan, especially those who valiantly helped U.S. troops, diplomats, journalists, and other civilians over the past 20 years.”
