Aug 18, 2021 - World

Utah governor tells Biden state is "eager" to resettle Afghan refugees

Rebecca Falconer

Governor of Utah, Spencer Cox speaks on stage during Sundance Film Festival at Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center on January 20, 2017 in Salt Lake City, Utah. — Utah Gov. Spencer Cox. Photo: Chad Hurst/Getty Images for Sundance Film Festival

Utah Gov. Spencer Cox wrote to President Biden on Tuesday to offer his state's assistance in resettling Afghan refugees.

Driving the news: The Biden administration has yet to announce how many refugees the U.S. will take, but the Republican governor noted in his letter that Utah has a "long history of welcoming refugees" and the state was "eager to continue that practice and assist with the resettlement of individuals and families fleeing Afghanistan."

In particular, Cox said he wanted to help "those who valiantly helped U.S. troops, diplomats, journalists, and other civilians over the past 20 years."

The big picture: As the U.S. and other Western nations stepped up efforts to evacuate hundreds of diplomats and other civilians Wednesday, the British government announced plans to resettle 20,000 Afghans in the United Kingdom.

The Biden administration did not immediately respond to Axios' request for comment.

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Utah governor tells Biden state is "eager" to resettle Afghan refugees

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