Monday, August 23, 2021

Americans Prepare to Welcome Thousands of Afghan Refugees; Refugees Arrive in TX for Processing at Fort Bliss; Fort Bliss Preparing to House up to 10,000 Afghan Refugees; TX Attn Gen Paxton has Safety Concerns, and related stories

LM Otero/AP
Americans prepare to welcome thousands of Afghan refugees, even as political rhetoric heats up:
As divisions emerge among some Republicans in Washington over how to handle the refugee crisis in Afghanistan, resettlement groups have been inundated with calls from ordinary Americans seeking to assist the waves of Afghan citizens who have begun arriving in the United States.
Several governors across the political spectrum have joined the effort with offers of aid and messages that refugees would be welcome in their states, a sharp contrast to some conservatives who warned that the crisis could spark an “invasion” of unvetted refugees.
Even in Texas, a state divided over immigration policy, advocates say residents have shown strong support for the thousands of refugees expected to land there. A training session scheduled for volunteers Saturday had to be moved online because more than 200 people had signed up — despite the state being a covid hot spot.
“We have never seen this kind of increase in people wanting to volunteer,” said Jacqueline Buzas, a program supervisor for Refugee Services of Texas. “We have people calling to say, ‘I have an extra bedroom.’ Or, ‘I’m retired and have this extra house.’ People understand the human aspects of this, having to flee this life-or-death situation. And they just open the door.” --->READ MORE HERE
Capt. Chris Herbert/U.S. Air Force via AP
Afghanistan refugees arrive in Texas for processing at Fort Bliss:
Refugees from Afghanistan have begun arriving in Texas at Fort Bliss near El Paso — one of three Department of Defense locations where they will remain until their immigration processing is finalized.
Officials with U.S. Army North confirmed Sunday that “a number of Afghans at risk” arrived at Fort Bliss a day earlier and were moved to the Dona Ana Range Complex in New Mexico, where they will be temporarily housed.
Other Afghans have been taken to Fort Lee near Richmond, Va., and Fort McCoy, Wisconsin.
The U.S. military is presently flying Afghans from Kabul to various points around the world. Pentagon officials said Sunday that those evacuated to facilities inside the United States are in the final stages of the State Department-run Special Immigrant Visa program. --->READ MORE HERE
Follow links below to related stories:

+++++Fort Bliss preparing to house up to 10,000 Afghan refugees+++++

+++++Texas attorney general suggests Afghan refugees might be terrorists+++++

Afghan evacuees begin arriving Fort Bliss; more expected over next few days

Fort Bliss in El Paso could receive thousands of Afghan refugees as Taliban topples government, Pentagon says

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