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<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />Issued in Support of Afghan Refugees and People of Afghanistan <br /> <br />WHEREAS, in February 2020, the Afghan Taliban signed a peace agreement with the United States ahead of <br />a proposed withdrawal of US troops, and in April 2021, President Biden announced that US military forces would leave <br />Afghanistan by September 11, 2021 after a 20-year conflict; and <br /> <br />WHEREAS, the Taliban ramped up attacks on Afghan National Defense and Security Forces bases and <br />outposts, and on August 15, 2021, Taliban fighters entered the capital, leading Afghan President Ashraf Ghani to flee <br />the country and the Afghan government to collapse; and <br /> <br />WHEREAS, the ongoing uncertainty and violence in Afghanistan and the takeover of the Afghan government <br />by the Taliban has created a humanitarian crisis, with rapidly deteriorating human rights and reductions in safety <br />particularly for vulnerable individuals; and <br /> <br />WHEREAS, many Afghan citizens, government employees, interpreters, translators, and Afghan National <br />Defense and Security Forces personnel who supported our service members while they were serving in Afghanistan <br />now find their lives and their family’s lives in jeopardy under Taliban rule; and <br /> <br />WHEREAS, refugees and their families face a multitude of challenges when arriving in the United States and <br />transitioning to a new life, including but not limited to: resettlement, language barriers, financial hardship, accessing <br />education, finding work and legal status; and <br /> <br />WHEREAS, the Bay Area is home to one of the largest concentrations of Afghans and Afghan Americans in <br />the United States. The City of San Leandro urges our state and federal leaders to bring at-risk and vulnerable Afghan <br />peoples and their families to the United States for safety and prosperity and be afforded full benefits to transition into <br />American life. <br /> <br />THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that I, Pauline Russo Cutter, Mayor of San Leandro do hereby convey <br />that the San Leandro community is a welcoming place for refugees from Afghanistan, and I call upon our residents, <br />community leaders, businesses, faith-based & community organizations to join me in welcoming and supporting <br />Afghan families in their efforts to achieve life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. <br /> <br /> <br />IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand <br />and caused the Seal of the City of San Leandro to be <br />affixed this fourth day of October 2021. <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />