California
From the Gold Rush era to the present day, the Golden State has reaffirmed its commitment to compassion and inclusivity as a leader in welcoming forcibly displaced persons to the United States. The state's diverse population has often embraced refugees, offering cultural exchange opportunities and fostering an environment of acceptance and understanding. The Community Programs team in California is actively engaged with local nonprofit organizations, serving in the community, and developing opportunities for collecting and sharing refugee stories.
FY 2016-2020 data source: Refugee Processing Center: Arrivals and Admissions. Figures exclude Special Immigrant Visas (SIV) from Afghanistan and Iraq.
FY 2021 data: 986 Refugee, 1,654 SIV. Figures do not include 2021 Afghan Humanitarian Parolee arrivals.
FY 2022 data: Figure excludes Afghans relocated after 2021 evacuation and Ukrainians who arrived under Humanitarian Parole after 2022 invasion.
FY 2022 data source: Refugee Processing Center: Admissions and Arrivals
- Persian
- Arabic
- Kurdish
- Ukrainian
- French
FY 2022 data source: Languages based on the official and/or most common language of arrivals’ country of origin.
Voice Your Support for Afghan Adjustment
The Afghan Adjustment (AA) has been reintroduced in both the House (H.R.4627) and the Senate (S.2327) of the United States by a bipartisan group of legislators. We invite you to join us in honoring our promise to our Afghan allies by urging your representatives to pass the Afghan Adjustment!
What Supporting Refugees’ Mental Health Looks Like
I want to help newcomers because I see myself in them. A young Afghan woman I mentor, we’ll call her Sarah, reminds me of myself 6 years ago. She is the same age I was when I came to the U.S. She is by herself. Sometimes I get emotional thinking about Sarah managing to start a new life all by herself. Cooking for herself, taking care of herself, and doing it without family or community.
Uniting for Ukraine: U.S. Sponsors Needed
Just as citizens in Europe and the U.K. have heroically supported displaced Ukrainians by opening up their homes or securing other housing, assisting with school enrollments, employment needs, and language learning, Americans now have the opportunity via the Welcome.us Sponsor Circles program to directly help newly arrived Ukrainians. The United States has committed to welcoming 100,000 Ukrainians temporarily for a period of two-years and the ability to apply for employment authorization in the U.S. as long as they have a U.S.-based sponsor to petition for them.
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