In a joint letter to President Joseph R. Biden, New Mexico Speaker of the House Brian Egolf and Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham have joined a bipartisan group of lawmakers around the country that have made it clear to the White House that New Mexico stands ready to support and welcome any Afghan refugees chosen to be evacuated to the United States amidst the ongoing situation in Kabul.
“New Mexico is ready to help and resettle those individuals and families that who’ve spent the past two decades supporting our U.S. troops, diplomatic personnel and efforts to bring peace, democracy and security to Afghanistan.”
The letter goes on to say that welcoming the refugees falls in line with New Mexico’s history of cultural diversity, “We have a proud tradition of welcoming refugees from around the world with open arms, and the people of Afghanistan are no exception.”
President Joe Biden has set an exit date of Sept. 11 for U.S. troops to leave the country after nearly 20 years of war. The move has set off a mass exodus of Afghanis as the Taliban has resumed control of the country and a potential humanitarian crisis.