The media coverage has been heartbreaking— images of parents
pushing tiny babies into the arms of military personnel, seeking
safety as the Taliban regime takes over Afghanistan. In the
coming weeks and months, 50,000 or more Afghan men, women, and
children are expected to resettle within seven California
Counties. CSAC, the California Department of Social Services, the
Department of Public Health, the Department of Health Care
Services, and the San Diego County Refugee Coordinator held a
highly informative webinar on Thursday to help Counties
understand, prepare for, and better navigate the local impacts of
this unprecedented humanitarian response. Access the full slide
deck
here, including links to resources. A recording of the
webinar is available here.
Given the speed with which many individuals fled Afghanistan,
typical Special Immigrant Visas, which must be
completed before leaving a “country of origin,” were not able to
be processed. Therefore, many of the individuals and families
that will be resettled in Sacramento, San Diego, Stanislaus, Los
Angeles, Contra Costa, Alameda, and Santa Clara Counties will
arrive with Humanitarian Parolee Status. This is a unique
classification with specific parameters and eligibility
requirements for federal versus state support/aid programs. To
help, Governor Newsom has requested more than $16 million in aid
to expand the Trafficking and Crime Victim Assistance Program
(TCVAP) to extend state aid for these individuals. Counties are
advised that current law provides for Medi-Cal services for all
those under age 26 regardless of immigration status, and the
state is working to ensure eligibility for a raft of human
services programs. Additional details are available in
the PowerPoint slides and will be updated as the
Governor’s aid package progresses.
CSAC will continue to work with our federal and state partners to
clarify questions and concerns as California counties prepare to
welcome new neighbors from Afghanistan. Please reach out to
Farrah McDaid Ting, CSAC Senior Legislative Representative,
with additional questions or requests for information.
