STILLWATER — A 20-year veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces who served in Afghanistan wants Oklahomans to understand something about the refugees being resettled here.
“These are people that are asking for our help,” said retired U.S. Army Col. Mike FitzGerald. “They are young families with small children. These aren’t the bad guys.”
These are people who assisted the United States with things like language interpretation and finding supplies, said FitzGerald, who serves as operations manager for Catholic Charities of Eastern Oklahoma.
He is helping the city of Stillwater prepare to host dozens of refugee families from Afghanistan; Oklahoma City and Tulsa have already seen some arrivals.
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The recent removal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan drew international attention.
The first families are expected to start arriving Nov. 1, said FitzGerald, who spent 20 years in the U.S. Army and 19 years in the reserves, with tours in Afghanistan and Iraq.
The city is expecting about 40 families, he said.
Officials have found enough housing so far to accommodate the families, including accommodations provided by Oklahoma State University and private landlords, Fitzgerald said.
They expect to tap into the assistance of a local food bank, Our Daily Bread, but they still need funding for groceries, he said.
The news of incoming refugees has been met with enthusiasm, said Very Rev. Brian O’Brien, pastor of Saint Francis Zavier Catholic Church in Stillwater.
“Stillwater has long been a wonderfully inclusive place,” O’Brien said.
O’Brien is aware of the anti-refugee sentiments of some.
“I trust Catholic Charities,” he said. “Catholic Charities settles refugees all the time.”
O’Brien said he thinks the anti-refugee sentiment might be political grand standing for a base. He said he hasn’t seen it in Stillwater.
Stillwater Mayor Will Joyce agrees.
“Stillwater is a very welcoming community and home to a lot of international students as part of OSU and has been a very diverse community because of our status as a university town,” Joyce said. “I would expect that any new refugee or other international visitors will find it to be a very welcoming place.”
Organizers have set up a committee structure to help with things like transportation, adult education, children’s education, jobs, household supplies, furniture and groceries.
English language classes will be provided, FitzGerald said.
The children will be allowed to enroll in Stillwater Public Schools, FitzGerald said.
A trained case manager with Catholic Charities will be assigned to the families to help them navigate a new life, FitzGerald said.
The U.S. Department of State will provide $1,225 per person in the family, FitzGerald said.
Work authorizations, which normally take 18 to 24 months, will be expedited so family members can find work more quickly, FitzGerald said.
Despite being a college town with an influx of potential workers during the school year, O’Brien and FitzGerald said there are plenty of jobs above minimum wage available in Stillwater.
FitzGerald said there will be no proselytizing.
“The initial task is to welcome the stranger, to help people in need,” O’Brien said. “We do that out of our faith.”
O’Brien and FitzGerald said a lot of issues are still being worked out.
“Whenever a need has arisen, it gets met,” O’Brien said.
Afghanistan needs urgent and sustained support from the international community to prevent a larger humanitarian crisis, the head of the U.N. refugee agency said, warning of global implications if that were to happen.
Reaction from Oklahoma political leaders on Afghanistan refugees' relocation
Stitt
Gov. Kevin Stitt, pictured in Tulsa on Sept. 11, 2021, was among the first Oklahoma leaders to welcome Afghans fleeing for their lives as the last U.S. troops began withdrawing and the Taliban took over Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan. “I welcome Afghans fleeing the terrorist Taliban regime to come to Oklahoma and live in the freedom we hold so dearly,” the Republican governor said in a tweet on Aug. 18. “My office is exploring every possible avenue to help to ensure no American citizen nor any of our allies are left behind.”
Lankford
Republican U.S. Sen James Lankford, pictured in Tulsa on July 23 for a news conference about illegal immigration, said: “I absolutely think that we need to continue to be able to welcome refugees from Afghanistan into Oklahoma and into the United States. When I talk to veterans of the Afghanistan war, they bring two things up to me in the past week. The first thing they'll say is how disappointed they are and how frustrated they are that it's ending this way. The second thing they say is, 'Those people that fought alongside of us, I want them to get out.'"
Cole
U.S. Rep. Tom Cole, R-Moore, said: “I am proud that the United States and our allies are helping those that have helped our service members during our time in Afghanistan escape the evil wrath of the Taliban while also ensuring they are vetted for security and medical risks. I urge all Oklahomans to welcome these refugees from the Taliban to our state and to our communities.”
Dahm
Sen. Nathan Dahm, a Republican from Broken Arrow, said the congressional delegation should propose changes to the federal law on refugee resettlement to give states more input. “Every member of our federal delegation in Congress has the opportunity to work to address this,” Dahm said. “It’s time they put the people of Oklahoma and America first and at very least allow us to have a say on who is relocated into our State.”
Lahmeyer
Lankford’s announced primary opponent, Jackson Lahmeyer of Owasso, has been critical of the relocations. In a tweet, he said: “1,800 Afghans could potentially arrive in Oklahoma. The Biden Administration has NO WAY to fully vet these refugees. Yet James Lankford still wants them to come into our communities.”
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