Feds don't want to resettle Afghan refugees in California because it is too expensive
Despite significant Afghan population centers in Sacramento and Fremont, no California destinations are on a list of 19 cities the State Department says are best suited for refugees to thrive.
By The Center Square Staff
By Cole Lauterbach
Updated: September 6, 2021 - 11:02pm
Afghan refugees looking to resettle in the U.S. are being discouraged from picking California as a destination, despite the state having significant Afghan population centers.
In the days after the U.S. announced it would resettle refugees fleeing a Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, governors across the country made statements welcoming refugees.
"We're a state of refuge," California Gov. Gavin Newsom said Aug. 16 during a news conference. "I'm proud of the fact that, over the last decade, California's taken in more refugees than any other state in America, and I'm proud of the fact a disproportionate number of Afghani refugees are here in Northern California, not just here in the south, but also up in Sacramento County."
Newsom said the state already was working with nonprofit organizations to "make sure that they feel welcome and celebrated as members of our community."
As much as the state's welcome mat is rolled out, refugees working with the U.S. Department of State won't generally get a federal blessing to make the Golden State their new home.
The department's Bureau of Consular Affairs listed the cities it said are best suited for refugees to thrive. Despite significant Afghan population centers in Sacramento and Fremont, where one neighborhood is called Little Kabul, no California destinations are on the list of 19 cities.
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https://justthenews.com/nation/states/feds-say-california-too-expensive-welcome-afghan-refugees
