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Video: Afghan refugees resettling in Texas find help despite strained resources

Texas expects to resettle the second-highest number of Afghan refugees in the United States.

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More than 4,400 Afghan refugees plan to resettle in Texas after the U.S. withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan and the Taliban takeover, according to the White House. The majority of evacuees are people who received Special Immigrant Visas for their ties to the U.S military. These individuals find support from Texans working with local organizations as they adjust to living in the U.S.

But after four years of budget cuts to the federal Office of Refugee Resettlement, some government-funded resettlement agencies struggle to find resources and staffing to support Afghan refugees. This video features “Amir,” a refugee who worked as an engineer with U.S. troops in Afghanistan. He asked to go by a pseudonym out of fear that the Taliban would retaliate against his family. He worries about his brother in Afghanistan as he navigates his own challenges adjusting to life in Dallas.

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Information about the authors

Ashley Miznazi’s staff photo

Ashley Miznazi

Multimedia Fellow

Lauren Santucci’s staff photo

Lauren Santucci

Multimedia Fellow

Todd Wiseman’s staff photo

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