State Democratic leaders are urging Governor Andy Beshear to offer a permanent home to Afghan refugees in Kentucky. At least a dozen other governors so far have pledged to help people leaving Afghanistan relocate to their states. State Representative Joni Jenkins of Shively says she and her colleagues have sent a formal letter to the governor and the congressional delegation asking them to implement actions to help fleeing Afghans. Jenkins notes many seeking asylum are at risk in their homeland because they served alongside American forces, or are women or members of the L-G-B-T-Q-plus community.
It’s estimated around 88-thousand individuals who worked for the U-S in Afghanistan and their family members are seeking Special Immigrant Visas. A recent survey of 11-hundred U-S adults found more than 40-percent would support increasing the number of visas for Afghans. Forty-four percent said the number should remain the same.
Jenkins says groups like Kentucky Refugee Ministries and the Kentucky Council of Churches are standing by and ready to help.
The Biden administration has allocated 500-million dollars for unexpected and urgent refugee and migration needs, victims of conflict, and others at risk as a result of the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan. The Pentagon says it’s using facilities in Texas, Virginia and Wisconsin to house people applying for visas.
