A resolution of support for a three-step plan asking the federal government to accept more Afghan refugees into the United States was unanimously passed by the Orange County Board of Supervisors Tuesday.
“What I have learned over the last 46 years living in the U.S. is America’s opportunity is our greatest weapon against totalitarianism and oppression,” said Supervisor Andrew Do, chairman of the Orange County Board of Supervisors and a refugee himself.
“Helping Afghan refugees, especially those who risked their lives to stand alongside the U.S., to fight for democracy, is not only the decent thing to do, it also shows the world our commitment as a country to the fight for democracy, for basic human dignity, human rights, and for liberty and justice for all.”
The three-step plan for the resettlement of Afghan refugees asks the federal government to:
• Increase the cap on refugees to include an additional 100,000 Afghan refugees;
• Have theDepartment of Justice grant immigration parole status to Afghan refugees who would be housed at processing centers throughout the U.S. while awaiting national security clearance;
• Establish private partnerships to support refugee resettlement in welcoming communities.
Do emphasized the importance of bringing Afghan refugees into the country quickly at a Wednesday press conference in Orange County’s Little Saigon.
“Our processing centers that we are using in foreign nations to house some of these special immigrant visa candidates are full and exceeding capacity. Not only that, but our domestic ability to process visa applications has also been depleted, and this lack of resource has not been ratified since the change in administrations. That needs to change now,” said Do.
“It is time once again, for the United States to welcome refugees,” said Vice Chairman Doug Chaffee. “Our work to advocate on behalf of Afghan refugees will not end until we as a nation do our part in this humanitarian effort.”
Currently, the United States’ annual refugee admissions cap is 62,500, a level set by President Biden on May 3 of this year. Do and the other supervisors felt the cap is too low.
“This low number creates a structural barrier to admit Afghan refugees in great numbers. The special immigrant visa process takes too long and it severely limits the number of applicants that we could process in time in order to save a lot of these Afghan refugees,” said Do.
As part of the three-step process, which is now part of the county’s legislative’s platform, county staff is now directed to use all of the resources available, directly and through lobbyists, “in order to lobby all of the appropriate federal agencies in order to help...implement this plan,” said Do.