There has been pressure on the Biden admin to speed up the relocation of Afghan ‘s who assisted the American military that could be trouble from the looming Taliban take over of their country….
There have more than 20,000 exit visa application and the State Dept. is seriously behind in processing their paperwork….
One hopes the base does not become a detention center like the ones for immigrants from the border or the Chinese-Americans during WWII….
It IS good to hear that this country WILL take care of those who helped our soldiers far from home….
Biden’s abrupt pull out order has had the admin playing catch up operationally….
The first round of applicants will be taken to Fort Lee, Va., according to a congressional official who viewed a National Security Council notification sent to Capitol Hill on Monday.
The news comes as the administration has also been considering housing the applicants outside of Afghanistan before they come to the U.S. Many of the Afghan allies, who served as interpreters and translators for the U.S., are in danger amid the U.S. withdrawal from the country and rapid gains by the Taliban.
President Joe Biden announced this month that evacuation flights from Afghanistan would begin in late July. The Afghans are seeking refuge in the U.S. through the Special Immigrant Visa program, which has enjoyed bipartisan support over the years.
A spokesperson for the National Security Council did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The special visa program has seen significant backlogs in recent weeks, raising the urgency of evacuating the applicants and housing them in other countries or on the U.S. mainland as they await State Department approval of their paperwork.
Lawmakers who have been pressing the Biden administration for a more concrete plan to evacuate the Afghan allies cheered the decision.
“This is welcome news,” said Rep. Michael Waltz (R-Fla.), a former Army Green Beret who worked with Afghan interpreters when he served in the country. “But we still need to see details on how the Biden administration will get SIV applicants and their families out from across Afghanistan now that we have no bases or military transportation.”
The House is set to vote this week on legislation to allow applicants to be approved for special visas more quickly….