Homeland Security to oversee entry of Afghans. Refugee agencies brace for mammoth task

The Biden administration has designated the Department of Homeland Security as the lead federal agency charged with facilitating the entry of Afghans into the United States. Refugee resettlement groups say the process has been too slow, but they remain hopeful the nation is up to the task.

Homeland Security will coordinate efforts across federal agencies to resettle vulnerable Afghans, including those who worked on behalf of the U.S. The efforts include immigration processing, COVID-19 testing, quarantine of people who test positive and support for evacuees who are not U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents, according to the White House.

Mark Hetfield, chief executive of the Jewish humanitarian organization HIAS, said the coordination of federal agencies is progress but not enough to make up for what appears to be a lack of earlier planning.

Hetfield said the effort to resettle Afghans is unprecedented based on the scale and level of U.S. interest. Since the Refugee Act of 1980, the U.S. has responded to smaller-scale evacuations, such as the turmoil in northern Iraq in 1996 and the Kosovo conflict in 1999.