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Soon-to-be New York Gov. Kathy Hochul took to social media this week said that the Empire State would welcome refugees and that it's time to help (Afghans) who find themselves stuck between a rock and a hard place.
“When I served in Congress, I met with many Afghans when I traveled to their country. They were there for us, now it's time for us to help them,” she posted online alongside a photo of the Statue of Liberty. “NY is committed to doing our part to welcome refugees fleeing Afghanistan.
“The arms of the Statue of Liberty are open wide to you.”
According to the most recent data from the Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance, a total of 860 Refugees and Special Immigrant Visa holders resettled in New York State in 2020, with 273 coming from Afghanistan.
Of those 273 refugees, 222 of the refugees came into Erie County, Hochul’s home base.
Earlier this week, Hudson Valley Congressman Jamaal Bowman called on the feds to increase the number of refugees the country welcomes into the US.
“We must ensure that the Afghan people are given refuge,” he posted in a tweet Monday. “In doing so, we should reassess the humanity and viability of the White House’s limit on refugee arrivals — and exceed that limit if necessary.”
New York Sen. Andrew Gounardes (22nd District) and Assemblywoman Catalina Cruz (District 39) also issued a joint letter to President Joe Biden supporting resettlement support for Afghans in the area.
“New York has always been a beacon of refuge for those escaping conflict,” Gounardes wrote. “Many of these asylum-seekers have helped our military members in their country, and we stand ready to help them in ours.
“It’s time again that we live up to our values and provide a safe haven for Afghans fleeing the Taliban.”
The letter to the president came in the wake of days of chaos in Kabul as the Taliban works to take over the country. It called on the Biden administration to “allow these individuals and families to call New York home, where we intend to welcome them with open arms.”
“New York State has always served as a refuge of hope for immigrants across the globe,” Cruz said. “As the crisis in Afghanistan intensifies, we must act expeditiously to welcome their asylum seekers and refugees to our state, and provide them with the home that they deserve.”
Today, my colleague Senator Andrew Gounardes and I, with the help of our colleagues, called on the Biden administration to allow these individuals and families to call New York home, where we intend to welcome them with open arms.”
The resettling has bipartisan support, with Republican Senate Minority Leader Robert Ortt urging the federal government to offer their support to those in need who worked with Americans overseas.
“They helped us at great risk to themselves because they believed that we were going to, they were making a better country for them and for them to wake up and just see the very people that were running the country before in charge of the country again,” he said to Spectrum News 1.
“A brutal regime, a brutal regime that when they find these folks, they will kill them — so my heart breaks for them as well.”
A separate letter signed by 40 members of the state legislature also threw their support toward welcoming refugees with open arms.
“New York has always been committed to being an inclusive and welcoming state for immigrants and refugees,” reads the letter addressed to the president, signed by 40 members of the state legislature.
“While the situation in Afghanistan unfolds, we write to you as elected officials from New York State saying we will welcome asylum seekers and refugees from Afghanistan and stand ready to support them when they are here.”
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