New Jersey Administrative Code › Title - EXECUTIVE ORDERS › Title 55 - CHRIS CHRISTIE › Section - Executive Order No. 256 (2021)

Current through Register Vol. 56, No. 14, July 15, 2024
Governor Philip D. Murphy
Executive Order No. 256 (2021)
An Order Establishing a Task Force on Afghan Refugee Assistance
Issued: August 27, 2021.
Effective: August 27, 2021.
WHEREAS, on April 14, 2021, President Biden announced that the full U.S. troop withdrawal from Afghanistan would begin on May 1, 2021, nearly 20 years after the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001 and the initiation of major combat in Afghanistan against Taliban forces on October 7, 2001; and
WHEREAS, on July 8, 2021, President Biden announced that the U.S. military operation in Afghanistan would conclude on August 31, 2021; and
WHEREAS, Afghan allies have provided immeasurable support to members of the U.S. military and to the country's operations in Afghanistan for the previous two decades, and stood next to our soldiers in fighting for democracy, stability, and peace; and
WHEREAS, the incoming Taliban regime in Afghanistan poses a severe threat to Afghans who have supported the United States, those who oppose Taliban rule, women's rights advocates, Afghan security forces and government officials, and others whose values do not align with those of the incoming regime; and
WHEREAS, according to the Biden Administration, the United States has relocated over 110,000 people from Afghanistan since the end of July of this year, including tens of thousands of at-risk Afghan nationals and Afghans who have qualified for Special Immigrant Visas ("SIV"), with thousands more expected to be evacuated by the current August 31 withdrawal deadline; and
WHEREAS, Afghans who have been evacuated as part of the military drawdown will be resettled around the world, including across the United States; and
WHEREAS, on August 22, 2021, I informed President Biden by letter that the State of New Jersey stands ready to welcome our Afghan allies, and noted that these brave individuals and families, many of whom have worked to assist our military and put their own lives on the line in support of human rights and American initiatives, must not be left behind; and
WHEREAS, on August 23, 2021, the United States Department of Defense identified Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst as a temporary shelter for up to 9,500 Afghan refugees for up to 365 days in accordance with President Biden's "Planning Order for Department of Defense Support to the Department of State for Afghan Relocation"; and
WHEREAS, on August 25, 2021, the first group of Afghan refugees arrived in New Jersey at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, with the potential for additional arrivals in the coming days or weeks; and
WHEREAS, providing safe harbor for these individuals and families not only expresses our shared American values, but also honors the sacrifice made by U.S. veterans of the War in Afghanistan; and
WHEREAS, we welcome Afghans to New Jersey not only because they will make enormous contributions to our State's culture, community, and economy, but because it is the right thing to do considering the sacrifices these individuals have made in support of the U.S. mission in Afghanistan over the last two decades; and
WHEREAS, coordinated inter-agency efforts are critical and necessary to ensuring efficient and robust supports for this group;
NOW, THEREFORE, I, PHILIP D. MURPHY, Governor of the State of New Jersey, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and by the Statutes of this State, do hereby ORDER and DIRECT:
1. There is hereby established the Task Force on Afghan Refugee Assistance ("Task Force") that will report directly to the Office of the Governor.
2. The Chairperson of the Task Force shall be the Adjutant General and Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Military and Veterans Affairs ("DMAVA"), or her designee.
3. In addition to the Commissioner of DMAVA, the Task Force shall consist of the Chief of Staff to the Governor; the Chief Counsel to the Governor; the Chief Policy Advisor to the Governor; the Executive Director of the Governor's Disaster Recovery Office; and the Commissioners or other heads of the following Executive Branch departments and agencies, or their designees:
a. The Department of Law & Public Safety;
b. The New Jersey State Police;
c. The Department of Health;
d. The Department of Human Services;
e. The Department of Children & Families;
f. The Office of Homeland Security & Preparedness;
g. The Department of State;
h. The Department of Transportation;
i. The Department of Community Affairs; and
j. The Department of Labor & Workforce Development.