We join the political leaders of Syracuse and Onondaga County in welcoming allies from Afghanistan urgently being evacuated by the U.S. military because they were employed by U.S. institutions during the war. They and their families now face imprisonment or execution at the hands of the Taliban, who are back in power after U.S. troops were hastily withdrawn and the Afghan government fell.
Mayor Ben Walsh, County Executive Ryan McMahon and the bipartisan leaders of the Common Council and county Legislature sent a letter to President Joe Biden last week inviting the administration to resettle Afghan refugees here.
“Our nation made a promise to the brave Afghans that stepped forward to protect our military, diplomatic and NGO personnel in Afghanistan,” they wrote. “Now is the time to keep our promise by evacuating our allies and finding safe places for them to live and thrive in the United States.”
We wholeheartedly agree. Syracuse and Central New York are uniquely situated to help the nation fulfill that moral obligation.
Two local agencies, InterFaith Works and Catholic Charities of Onondaga County, have the infrastructure and experience to resettle refugees from Afghanistan. InterFaith Works says it can take on as many as 700 individuals. The agencies are able to quickly find housing, furnish it and provide supports for navigating daily life in a new place. Refugee families also are connected with education, health care and employment.
The two agencies are waiting to resettle 40 individuals and families whose applications were already approved or in the pipeline before thousands of Afghans crowded into the Kabul airport for flights out of the country.
The upfront investment in these New Americans pays big dividends. A 2017 study calculated foreign-born residents contribute $1.7 billion to the gross domestic product of the Syracuse area. They pay taxes, fill key jobs in manufacturing and healthcare, buy and fix up old housing stock, are more highly educated than U.S.-born residents and are more likely than U.S.-born residents to start their own businesses.
New Americans also bring value to our community that goes beyond the financial. Between 2000 and 2014, the influx of immigrants stopped the decades-long decline in the Syracuse area’s population. New data from 2020 Census suggests that trend continued, with the city of Syracuse gaining population for the first time in 70 years. That’s more residents to bear the cost of maintaining roads, schools and public safety.
Immigrants also make our community more vibrant. They bring their cultural and religious traditions, their cuisines and a fervent appreciation for the freedoms and opportunities many U.S.-born residents take for granted. It’s no accident that the children of our foreign-born neighbors often graduate at the top of their high school classes.
It is important to note that evacuees from Afghanistan are coming here at the invitation of the U.S. government. They have legal immigration status under Special Immigrant Visas. They are fully vetted by the State Department and are checked for Covid-19 and other medical issues. Calling this an “invasion” of Afghans is fearmongering, plain and simple.
Syracuse has been enriched by many waves of immigration over the decades. Our community should open its arms to this new wave of our Afghan allies.
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