The Republican Party is united in its criticism of President Joe Biden’s chaotic military withdrawal from Afghanistan. But the crisis has also exposed a deep internal divide between party leaders over relocating Afghan refugees at home.
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy , addresses a news conference about Afghanistan at the Capitol in Washington on Tuesday, Aug. 24, 2021, after a briefing by Biden administration officials on the situation in Afghanistan.
In fact, the Afghan evacuees fleeing the Taliban’s return are subject to extensive background checks by intelligence officials to receive Special Immigrant Visas, a lengthy and complex process available to those who face threats because of work for the U.S. government. In the past, it has taken years for applications to be processed.
For now, the faction of the Republican Party that supports helping Afghan translators and refugees resettle in the United States is larger than the one warning of any potential dangers that could accompany their resettlement. A recent CBS News/YouGov poll found that 76% of Republicans, and 79% of independents, supported efforts to bring Afghans who have helped the U.S. here.
Traditionally, evangelical groups and Christian charities that wield influence on the right have supported refugee resettlement, prompting elected leaders who are dependent on their support to follow suit. But other lawmakers have echoed the fear and anger McCarthy expressed on the bipartisan call. “Will this bring chain migration too?” she asked on Twitter, referring to family-based immigration. “How much will it cost GA taxpayers in Gov assistance?”
Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., a onetime moderate who was elected to her party’s No. 3 House post after winning Trump’s endorsement, signed a letter alongside progressive Democrats calling on Biden to commit to saving Afghan allies. Stephen Miller, a former policy adviser to Trump known for hard-right immigration policies, dismissed the split and said he believed his party would ultimately coalesce around opposition to letting Afghans resettle in large numbers across the country.
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