For Immediate Release
Contact: Dan Gordon, 617-651-0841
Aug. 19, 2021

GOP Governors Welcome Afghan Refugees 

WASHINGTON D.C. — Several Republicans are among more than a dozen governors who say they will welcome Afghan refugees.

At least nine Republicans and five Democrats have spoken up. "Utah was settled by refugees fleeing religious persecution. We understand the pain caused by forced migration and appreciate the contributions of refugees in our communities," Gov. Spencer Cox (R) tweeted earlier this week, alongside a letter to President Biden offering to assist with Afghan refugee resettlement. 

Republican governors in Arizona, Georgia, Iowa, Maryland, Massachusetts, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Vermont, and Democrats in California, Colorado, Kansas and Virginia, have spoken out.

"These messages of welcome from both Republican and Democratic governors are a beacon of light during a dark week," said Ali Noorani, President and CEO of the National Immigration Forum. "We will need this kind of leadership, especially from Republicans fending off the nativists in their own party, as the need to resettle Afghan allies and refugees grows in the weeks and months ahead.

"We look forward to seeing all 50 governors step forward as a sign of solidarity in welcoming and honoring our Afghan brothers and sisters who have stood beside us during this 20-year war."

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