Should Afghan refugees be resettled in SC? These Congress members say yes
Some members of South Carolina’s congressional delegation are in favor of opening the Palmetto State to Afghan refugees brought to America after fleeing the Taliban, they and their spokespeople told The State.
Republicans U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham and U.S. Reps. Tom Rice, William Timmons and Joe Wilson all were open to Afghan immigrants who helped American troops during the war in Afghanistan resettling in South Carolina.
“There’s been a vetting process. We know who was helping us. You had to help us for two years to be eligible,” Graham said Aug. 19 during a stop in Columbia. “They can come to my neighborhood.”
Rice said Afghans who worked with the armed forces during the war and were granted Special Immigrant Visas should be welcomed in any state. The Myrtle Beach Republican added that he’s ready to help any person or group looking to resettle in South Carolina.
“These people fought alongside us in the War on Terror to defend American freedoms,” Rice said. “We cannot turn our backs.”
Wilson, R-Springdale, said it was important that the U.S. do whatever it can to ensure Afghan refugee safety, adding he supported resettlement in South Carolina, the U.S. and any other countries where they can seek refuge.
Timmons, R-Greenville, said, based on his conversations with the State Department and other resettlement groups, it did not seem that many, if any, refugees would be settling in his Upstate district, which includes parts of Greenville and Spartanburg counties. He added, though, that he supported properly vetted Special Immigrant Visa holders settling in the area.
“We promised these folks we would have their back, and we owe it to them to live up to our word,” Timmons said.
While some members of the delegation were wholeheartedly in support of resettlement, others say that decision should be left up to local and state authorities.
U.S. Rep. Jim Clyburn, D-Columbia, thinks the decision should be left up to S.C. Gov. Henry McMaster’s office, spokesman Brandon Hernandez said.
U.S. Rep. Jeff Duncan, R-Laurens, thinks the decision should fall to local or state officials, spokeswoman Emily Wood said. However, Duncan said local officials should be concerned about whether refugees have been vetted before being resettled, adding that “extensive investigations and oversight is needed to ensure that proper and thorough vetting is taking place because people are released into the American civilian population.”
Other lawmakers echoed Duncan’s concern about the vetting process.
U.S. Sen. Tim Scott said resettlement efforts must include “a comprehensive vetting process of all refugees to ensure the safety of our nation.”
U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman, R-Rock Hill, believes President Joe Biden’s efforts to withdraw U.S. troops from Afghanistan after a 20-year war were “breathtakingly inept,” spokesman Austin Livingston said.
“Of the countless thousands of Afghans who have recently been airlifted from that country, it is safe to assume that many, if not most, have not yet been appropriately vetted by U.S. authorities,” Livingston said. “Because it is certainly possible that the Taliban and other terrorists are using this disaster as an opportunity to slip out of Afghanistan with malicious intent, Rep. Norman strongly believes that no refugee should be resettled until that individual has been properly cleared by the appropriate U.S. authorities.”
Afghans who worked for or on behalf of the U.S. government can apply to immigrate through the Special Immigrant Visa program. That program has many criteria that candidates must meet to qualify, including providing proof of employment, a letter of recommendation and evidence of being an Afghan national.
Visa holders being evacuated are not taken directly to the United States and are instead processed at other international locations, where they are vetted again. Before they can even head to the airport, visa holders have completed some parts of the vetting process, State Department officials have said.
Biden has emphasized that visa holders being evacuated have undergone extensive vetting.
“Planes taking off from Kabul are not flying directly to the United States. They’re landing at U.S. military bases and transit centers around the world,” Biden said a little more than a week ago. “At these sites where they are landing, we are conducting thorough … security screening for everyone who is not a U.S. citizen or a lawful permanent resident. Anyone arriving in the United States will have undergone a background check.”
South Carolina’s Republican lawmakers in D.C. have repeatedly expressed frustrations with Biden’s withdrawal efforts over the last few weeks. Some, like Graham and Duncan, have gone so far as to call for Biden’s impeachment over the evacuation in Afghanistan.
Norman called for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to recall the House of Representatives to consider legislation to help those evacuated from the country and those who remain in the country.
U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace, R-Daniel Island, said officials need to focus now on evacuating all Americans and their allies from the Middle Eastern Country.
“We are the most generous and welcoming country on the planet, and right now, our focus should remain on getting every last American home,” Mace said. “Once that happens, then we can look toward refugee placement, both here and other countries, for fully vetted refugees.”
This story was originally published August 31, 2021 at 3:44 PM.
