BOISE, Idaho — After the Taliban overthrew the Afghanistan government, Idaho will help hundreds displaced because of the Taliban by being their next home.
Under a federal mandate by President Joe Biden, Idaho will resettle hundreds of Afghans displaced by the Taliban in two of the state's largest metropolitan areas. According to the Office of the Governor, the Biden Administration did so without consulting with the state.
Last Friday, Idaho Governor Brad Little and Idaho's Congressional delegation wrote a letter telling Biden that he needed to uphold the highest vetting standards for all refugees who resettle in Idaho.
A local organization has helped for many years and is continuing to help transition more refugees across the state.
Idaho Office for Refugees is an organization that works to ease the transition for those seeking refuge in the US by providing education, connections, among other resources.
Idaho Office for Refugees will help resettle about 400 Afghan refugees in the Boise and Twin Falls areas. The office said the refugees will be joining the communities throughout the year and most will be housed through host families.
So far this year, the Idaho Office for Refugees has welcomed 37 refugees from Afghanistan, including those who worked as guides and translators for the United States military.
During the resettling process, the Idaho Office For Refugees works with numerous other agencies.
"Our partners that lay all the groundwork to make sure this program is safe do a lot of careful vetting of the people who come," said Executive Director of the International Rescue Committee, Julianne Donnelly Tzul "It is a multiple agency system, it involves many layers of intelligence that are being carefully looked at for each individual who is coming. It doesn't just happen once. For a person to make it through this process, their name and background is checked over and over again."
Boise Mayor Lauren McLean took to Twitter to welcome the area's future residents.
"The City of Boise has a longstanding history of welcoming refugees from all over the world," she wrote. "I remain committed to welcoming those seeking refuge, and firmly believe that individuals and families fleeing Afghanistan should be permitted safe passage so that they can be resettled."
"We stand ready to provide support to Afghan community members who already reside in Boise, their families, and those who have fled and will flee Kabul in the coming weeks; as well as the Neighbors United network and refugee resettlement agencies providing direct support," McLean tweeted.
For more information and for ways to help, visit their website at idahorefugees.org.
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