Kansas City area resettlement agencies say they have capacity for 625 Afghan evacuees
Kansas City area refugee resettlement agencies have the capacity to welcome 625 Afghan evacuees, the agencies said in a proposal submitted to the State Department in late August.
The number is based on an assessment of capacity by the three area resettlement agencies designated by the State Department: Della Lamb Community Center, Jewish Vocational Services and Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas.
But the estimated capacity to receive Afghan evacuees is subject to change, depending on who chooses to come to Kansas City and who has existing relationships in the greater metropolitan area, said Ryan Hudnall, the executive director of Della Lamb. He said he anticipates that Kansas City could receive anywhere from just a few to as many as 750.
So far, Della Lamb has welcomed two Afghan families in the last two months. They arrived before the Taliban took control of major cities in Afghanistan in August.
“There’s uncertainty regarding the timing and the volume of those who we’re going to receive,” Hudnall said.
Since the start of the evacuation, Catholic Charities has resettled three Afghan families with Special Immigrant Visas, Carol Cowdrey, a spokesperson for the agency, said in an email. Afghan translators, interpreters and other workers who have aided the U.S. military are eligible to resettle in the U.S. under the Special Immigrant Visa program.
Catholic Charities has agreed to receive a total of 85 Afghan evacuees, but Cowdrey said the number is likely to grow.
In a tweet last month, Mayor Quinton Lucas said Kansas City would “proudly accept refugees from Afghanistan who have served bravely by our side over the past generation.”
“And, we have space for many who have not been able to serve, but who seek freedom to learn, vote, work, and have the equal rights our country offers for women and men,” Lucas said.
A representative for Jewish Vocational Services could not be reached for comment.
In May, President Joe Biden raised the overall refugee cap from 15,000 — a historic low set by the Trump administration — to 62,500. Biden said his goal was to boost the cap to 125,000 starting in October.
“The pendulum was swinging so severely already in trying to prepare for a completely different infrastructure and environment of resettlement from a historic low of 15,000 to … 125,000,” Hudnall said.
The drastic shift in refugee caps, combined with the pandemic, the housing shortage and the crisis in Afghanistan, has put pressure on Della Lamb to adjust and meet the increased demand for services.
“It’s further complicated by the anticipated notification that we, as a resettlement agency, will receive related to those evacuated from Afghanistan,” Hudnall said. “There are some initial estimates that we could receive as little as 24 hours of notification to receive someone.”
The organization is in the process of building its knowledge of Afghan culture and languages by engaging with Afghan communities in Kansas City to prepare to welcome evacuees.
Della Lamb works to not only receive families well, but to help them establish initial housing, register for Social Security, sign up for benefits and find jobs. Hudnall said several employers have reached out to Della Lamb about jobs for those looking for employment opportunities.
This story was originally published September 10, 2021 at 12:51 PM.