Organization Announces Plan to Settle Hundreds of Afghan Refugees in US Cities
One Texas nonprofit is preparing to resettle 324 Afghan refugees in the coming weeks as the U.S. prepares for as many as 30,000 new immigrants fleeing Afghanistan after America’s military withdrawal from the country.
“Reports suggest 30,000 Afghans may be resettled in the US in the coming weeks, and many will be temporarily housed at Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas. The incoming Afghans have applied for Special Immigrant Visas (SIVs), which will qualify them to be resettled by Refugee Services of Texas and other resettlement agencies across the nation,” Russell Smith, CEO of Refugee Services of Texas, said in a statement.
“Currently, Refugee Services of Texas has been assured that it will settle 324 Afghans in the next few weeks across our offices in Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, and Austin.”
The group has already been active in its efforts to resettle refugees fleeing the war-torn nation.
“Over the weekend, the Austin office of Refugee Services of Texas resettled a family of seven, and is gearing up to welcome four additional families this week,” Smith added.
“We know that this is just the beginning of this wave.”
“More than 100 Afghan refugees are expected in Austin in the coming weeks,” The American Statesman reported.
“Refugee Services of Texas is closely monitoring the situation in Afghanistan and lending support wherever we can,” Smith said in his statement.
“We stand ready, willing, and able to work with our national resettlement partners, elected representatives, and the military to process and resettle as many people as possible.”
“We stand ready, willing, and able to work with our national resettlement partners, elected representatives, and the military to process and resettle as many people as possible.”
Learn more about how you can help welcome newly arrived SIV’s to Texas at https://t.co/iUiO15S4l2 pic.twitter.com/NK7wAg6jLA
— Refugee Services TX (@RST_FW) August 16, 2021
According to reports, Afghan refugees are expected to be housed at military bases across the country, including Fort McCoy in Wisconsin.
“Pentagon officials say 22,000 Afghan interpreters and their families will be housed at Fort McCoy in Monroe County and Fort Bliss in Texas,” WITI-TV news anchor Nikola Junewicz tweeted on Wednesday.
“The last time Fort McCoy took in refugees was in 1980, housing 14,000 Cubans who fled Castro’s government.”
Pentagon officials say 22,000 Afghan interpreters and their families will be housed at Fort McCoy in Monroe County and Fort Bliss in Texas. The last time Fort McCoy took in refugees was in 1980, housing 14,000 Cubans who fled Castro’s government. @fox6wakeup
— Nikola Junewicz (@nikkijunewicz) August 18, 2021
WITI confirmed the Wisconsin military base as a location for Afghan immigrants earlier this week.
FOX News is reporting that the Department of Defense is preparing to house thousands of Afghan refugees on American military installations. That includes Fort McCoy in Wisconsin. https://t.co/Yt36ZLdB2Q
— FOX6 News (@fox6now) August 16, 2021
“We have been notified that we will be receiving these special immigrant visa applicants,” Fort McCoy spokesperson Tonya Townsell told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel on Monday.
“I don’t know when these guests of ours will be arriving exactly, but anytime it can turn,” she added.
“We are prepared to accept this mission, and we expect it to be very successful.”
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