**Photo Courtesy of the Chicago Sun-Times
In the coming weeks and months, more than 500 Afghans are expected to make their homes in Chicago, following the U.S. withdrawal from and Taliban takeover of Afghanistan. Resettlement agencies are working to support refugees entering Illinois with housing, employment, English classes, health care and more. Sima Quraishi, with the Muslim Women Resource Center in Chicago, fled Afghanistan when she was 10 years old after the Soviet invasion. She says the people who are fleeing now, like her and her family before, are in need of support and resources to get on their feet in a new place.
“Now is the time to stand with our Afghans. It is our moral obligation to protect, defend and welcome them and their families. It is central to who I am; it is central to who we are as a nation.”
More than a dozen Chicago aldermen on Monday signed a letter to President Joe Biden saying Chicago is ready and willing to help bring Afghan allies out of danger and to a welcoming city. In May, Biden said he plans to up the refugee cap to 125-thousand in the fiscal year starting in October, but some lawmakers are urging more.
U-S Representative Jan Schakowsky of Chicago is calling on the Biden administration to let in 200-thousand refugees next year. She says her office has heard from hundreds of people trying to get their relatives safely out of Afghanistan, and she joins calls to give Afghan people Temporary Protected Status in the U-S.
“Afghans of all immigration status must be able to access affordable housing, food, health care and legal and governmental services. “
Advocacy groups and resettlement agencies are accepting volunteers and donations to help refugees with airport pickups, meal assistance, mentorship, tutoring and other services. They’re also urging concerned residents to contact the White House and their representatives in Congress to express support for helping as many Afghans as possible seek safety.
***Report Courtesy of the Illinois News Connection***
