Biden to Turn U.S. Military Bases into Refugee Camps for 50K Afghans; US Military Creating ‘8 small cities’ at Bases for Afghan Evacuees, and related stories
Biden to Turn U.S. Military Bases into Refugee Camps for 50K Afghans:
President Joe Biden’s administration is readying a plan to house about 50,000 Afghans across five states by effectively turning United States military bases into temporary refugee camps.
Biden is asking his administration to expand capacity at U.S. military bases in Texas, Wisconsin, New Jersey, Virginia, New Mexico, and Indiana to accommodate about 50,000 Afghans.
According to internal figures reviewed by CBS News, Fort McCoy in Wisconsin is currently housing about 6,400 Afghans — none of whom have arrived with Special Immigrant Visas (SIVs). Instead, most Afghans at military bases are arriving on “humanitarian parole” that Biden opened for those who do not qualify for SIVs, P-2 visas, or even refugee status.
The Defense Department plans to eventually house about 13,000 Afghans at Fort McCoy, according to CBS News. In addition, about 4,300 Afghans are currently staying at Fort Bliss in Texas, 3,500 are at Fort Dix in New Jersey, 1,700 are at Fort Lee in Virginia, and roughly 600 are at a base in Quantico, Virginia.
More than 100 Afghans who have arrived at Holloman Air Force Base in New Mexico and Biden is opening Camp Atterbury in Franklin, Indiana, to Afghans in the coming days. —>READ MORE HERE
US military creating ‘8 small cities’ at bases for Afghan evacuees:
The US military is building “eight small cities” to house tens of thousands of Afghanistan evacuees at bases across the country.
More than 25,000 Afghan refugees were already housed at the eight bases as of Friday, said Air Force General Glen VanHerck, who heads U.S. Northern Command.
Eventually, as many as 50,000 will be brought to the bases.
“Our commitment is an enduring one,” Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas told reporters. “This is not just a matter of the next several weeks. We will not rest until we have accomplished the ultimate goal.”
Each base will have its own city-type leadership organization to deal with sanitation, food and other matters, as an increasing number of Afghans are processed from overseas and arrive in the U.S., The Associated Press reported. —>READ MORE HERE
Follow links below to related stories:
Afghan Evacuated by US Detained for Potential ISIS Ties, Up to 100 Others Could Be on Watch Lists
‘They can leave at any time’: Congressman expresses concern over unvetted Afghans at U.S. Army base
Defense Department holding 20,000 evacuated Afghans in U.S., 43,000 more overseas
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