BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) – A new push for federal legislation to help refugees in Vermont and beyond.
Vermont’s branch of the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants is advocating for legislation to cut some bureaucratic red tape for new Americans.
One of those bills would allow Afghans who came to the U.S. on temporary humanitarian parole to apply for permanent residency as they could if they came with refugee status.
Other bills the committee is pushing for would support all refugees in the U.S. and allow them to start work faster.
“They are about men, women, children who have faced unimaginable tragedies, who have seen their homes destroyed, their families torn apart and their futures thrown into uncertainty. They are also about hope– hope that in this great nation, they can find a place where they are not just safe, but they can thrive,” said Khalil Anwari of the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants.
The organization spoke with Vermont senators about their efforts. One of them promised to co-sponsor one of the bills but the organization won’t say who.