In the largest grassroots humanitarian effort in American history, the American public has successfully responded to the Afghan refugee crisis here, which brought over about 90,000 people since late August. Nine major USA immigration NGOs (nongovernmental organizations) have led the effort, despite their administrative and physical infrastructure being purposefully decimated by the Trump administration during his term.

As the NGOs alone could not handle the wave of incoming Afghan refugees, the Biden administration created temporary camps for them on US Army bases across the country. The bases initially housed over 50,000 people in tents and barracks, but that number is now less than 20,000.

The administration then changed the strict Federal resettlement rules to allow the NGOs to vet and support grassroots efforts to welcome, resettle and integrate Afghan families here.

The American public responded, as hundreds of families have been resettled in cities, towns and small hamlets across the country by ‘Welcome or Sponsorship Circles’ made up of US military veterans, community organizations, religious institutions, spontaneous humanitarian groups and families. The resettlement effort is arduous and on-going, but thousands of regular Americans are participating in this massive effort, resettling Afghans in decent housing in record time. Supporting the effort are many local government municipalities, religious groups, colleges, veterans organizations, private companies and corporations.

The plan is to resettle the remaining 20,000 by March 1. And to also vet and begin sending over 3,500+ Afghani refugees now living in temporary camps and US bases overseas. As a nation of many immigrants, the USA is fulfilling its moral and historic role as the ‘lamp unto the nations’ taking in those ‘tempest-tost, yearning to breathe free’.

If you are interested in finding out more about helping to get Afghani families off the US bases and resettled in the Hudson Valley, please contact us. The time to help is now. We can do this!