MN Will Welcome Afghan Refugees, Gov. Walz Tells President Biden

ACROSS MINNESOTA — Minnesota is willing and ready to welcome Afghan refugees, Gov. Tim Walz told President Joe Biden in a letter Thursday.

Walz's letter comes as Afghans try to flee their country, which recently fell under the control of the Taliban.

The Taliban took over the country after the United States military — which occupied the region for 20 years — pulled out of Afghanistan this month.

"Like people across the globe, Minnesotans have watched the events unfolding in Afghanistan with grief and sadness," Walz wrote.

"Minnesotans believe in treating all people with respect and dignity, and we have a strong tradition of welcoming those who seek refuge and supporting them to rebuild their lives and become part of our communities. Minnesota is eager to uphold that tradition by welcoming families and children and providing the stable foundation they need to rebuild their lives, achieve their highest potential, and contribute to our state."

Biden admitted in a speech last week that the Taliban's takeover over Afghanistan "did unfold more quickly than we had anticipated."

"Afghanistan political leaders gave up and fled the country. The Afghan military collapsed, sometimes without trying to fight," the president said.

Biden authorized 6,000 U.S. troops to deploy to Afghanistan "for the purpose of assisting in the departure of U.S. and allied civilian personnel from Afghanistan, and to evacuate our Afghan allies and vulnerable Afghans to safety outside of Afghanistan."