On September 3, 2021, Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas and Senior Response Official of the Unified Coordination Group Robert J. Fenton, Jr. delivered remarks on Operation Allies Welcome, the all-of-government effort to support vulnerable Afghans, including those who assisted the United States in Afghanistan, as they safely resettle in the United States. President Biden has directed the Department of Homeland Security to lead these ongoing efforts.
Good morning. Thank you for joining us today.
Before we speak about Operation Allies Welcome, I want to give you a brief update on our response to Hurricane Ida. First and foremost, our hearts break for the families and loved ones that we lost in Hurricane Ida and its aftermath, from landfall in Louisiana and Mississippi, to the more recent flooding in Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. We offer our prayers and our support to your communities. We share in your grief, and your resolve to rebuild and recover.
President Biden is visiting Louisiana today and I want to reiterate what he, our FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell, and all of us have made clear from the start: Our federal government said that we would be ready to respond to this massive and catastrophic storm, and we were. We pre-positioned personnel, assets, and resources on the Gulf Coast and in key areas ahead of time. We had meals and water in place for anyone forced from their home. We secured generators for hospitals, so they could continue to treat patients no matter what. We continue working to provide the states with fuel to cover any shortages. Right now, we encourage people to stay away from flooded and damaged areas for their own safety. And I make this pledge, thanks to the extraordinary team at FEMA and our partners in state and local government, just as we were there before and during the storm,
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