Former Obama, Bush officials launch organization to help Americans assist Afghan refugees
Will withdrawal from Afghanistan be a permanent stain on Biden’s legacy? History says maybe not
Muñoz is the former director of the White House Domestic Policy Council under President Barack Obama and Bridgeland is the former director of the White House Domestic Policy Council under President George W. Bush.
Two women tried to flee Afghanistan. One family escaped. One did not.
Although the United States is out of Afghanistan, officials are still working to evacuate American citizens who were left behind, as well as the thousands of Afghan visa applicants who also were not evacuated from the country.
Former Delaware Gov. Jack Markell, who President Joe Biden appointed to temporarily serve as the point person on resettling Afghan evacuees in the United States, said Welcome.US will make the resettlement process more effective, not only in the short term but to help get Afghans adjusted in the long term as well. Markell said that resettlements will begin “in earnest in the coming weeks.”
Markell noted that the Afghans coming to the United States after 20 years have supported the United States in their efforts and said Americans “know that our Afghan allies will help strengthen our communities, just as refugees and as immigrants, always have.”
Krish O’Mara Vignarajah, president and CEO of Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service, said nine major resettlement agencies had individually been working on an emergency response to help resettle Afghans, but now there is a “single point of entry” for Americans to get involved.
“This is a historic opportunity for us to show our new Afghan neighbors and the world the best of our country in demonstrating a collective, bipartisan broad coalition, coming together to provide essential services,” she said.
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