TUCSON – Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva (AZ-03) today issued a statement welcoming the resettlement of Afghan evacuees to Arizona. This comes following the notification by the Biden administration this week to state authorities on the number of Afghan refugees each state may receive in the coming weeks as part of the first phase of the resettlement operation. 

“Our nation was built by immigrants fleeing persecution and seeking a better life. The courage displayed by Afghans in leaving everything behind, placing their lives at risk and beginning a new life thousands of miles away from their homes cannot be understated. I join our nation in welcoming our new Afghan neighbors to the United States and to Arizona. Arizonans value diversity and how each culture contributes to the fabric of our society to make our communities and this country better.  Now, it is our responsibility to ensure that our new neighbors can thrive in our communities which means providing them with comprehensive refugee resettlement services and extending that assistance to humanitarian parolees. Without proper assistances, tens of thousands of evacuees may face additional hardships. I believe we must allow all arriving Afghan parolees to be eligible for benefits and services to the same extent as refugees and look forward to working with my colleagues in Congress and the Biden administration to make this a reality.”