WASHINGTON – Congresswoman Dina Titus (NV-01) is urging Secretary of State Marco Rubio to comply with federal law and retain the Coordinator for Afghan Relocation Efforts (CARE) Office.

“My CARE Authorization Act is clear,” said Congresswoman Dina Titus. “Secretary Rubio must appoint a Coordinator for Afghan Relocation Efforts. His refusal to do so is a violation of the law, disrespects Congress’s authority, and threatens our relationship with our Afghan allies. How can we expect others to stand by us in the future if we abandon our friends who face considerable danger for having done the same?”

Last week, the Trump Administration released a Congressional Notification outlining the reorganization of the State Department, including the dismantling of the Office of the Coordinator for Afghan Relocation Efforts (CARE).

A copy of Congresswoman Titus’s letter to Sec. Rubio can be found here.

Background

In 2022 the State Department established the CARE Office to streamline and coordinate the ongoing relocation and resettlement process for eligible Afghans from Afghanistan and Pakistan to the United States. CARE serves as the hub of this whole-of-government priority, working closely with various federal departments and agencies, international partners, and NGOs to ensure the safe and efficient relocation of individuals who have earned the right to immigrate to the U.S. as either SIVs or refugees during the twenty-year U.S. mission in Afghanistan.

CARE's mission is vital to keeping our promise to our Afghan allies and protecting them the way they protected U.S. servicemembers. Last Congress, Rep. Titus’s bipartisan CARE Authorization Act of 2024 was signed into law. It formally authorized the CARE office at the State Department for three years and granted important authorities to advance its mission. These include an extension of authorities to enter personal services contracts—an identified legislative priority for the State Department—as well as measures to streamline the transfer of funds to and from other agencies involved in the Afghan relocation mission.

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