Aoki Center Discussion About the Immigration Crisis of Afghans in Northern California

  • by Kevin R. Johnson

Today the Aoki Center brought a panel to King Hall to discuss Afghan refugees in Northern California. Among the refugee workers who spoke was Sarah Torres '07, a law school alum. She is a managing attorney at Opening Doors.

A group of panelists speaking at King Hall.
From left to right: Nawid Qateh from World Relief Sacramento, Sarah Torres '07 from Opening Doors, Anna Colby from World Relief Sacramento, Jennifer Hennessey from the International Rescue Committee, and Aoki Center Legal Fellow Giselle Garcia '23.

We had a good group of speakers talk about Afghan refugee resettlement. In August 2021, the news narrative for weeks centered around the Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan, the rushed withdrawal of the U.S. military after years of conflict, and the efforts to evacuate the thousands of Afghans who had collaborated with the U.S. and were promised green cards. Fast forward to today, many of the Afghans who were relocated to the states continue to face challenges in obtaining permanent immigration status.

As it turns out, the Sacramento area has one of the largest Afghan refugee communities in the country.