Ted Cruz Tours Texas Afghan Refugee Camp, Calls for Refugees to Be Sent to 'Neutral and Safe Third Country'
Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz toured the Fort Bliss military base in El Paso, Texas, on Friday, arguing Afghan refugees should not come to the United States without a full security vetting.
“Touring the Dona Ana camp at Fort Bliss this morning, where Biden admin plans to house 10,000 Afghan refugees,” Cruz tweeted.
“We should rescue Afghans who’ve assisted the US military, but they should go to a neutral & safe third country. They should NOT come to US w/o a FULL security vetting,” he added.
Touring the Dona Ana camp at Fort Bliss this morning, where Biden admin plans to house 10,000 Afghan refugees.
We should rescue Afghans who’ve assisted the US military, but they should go to a neutral & safe third country.
They should NOT come to US w/o a FULL security vetting. pic.twitter.com/X1rFJiNl74
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) August 27, 2021
The tour follows Cruz’s remarks on Wednesday in support of making sure every American in Afghanistan is protected.
“America cannot and must not leave our citizens trapped behind Taliban lines,” he tweeted.
America cannot and must not leave our citizens trapped behind Taliban lines. https://t.co/PKGnKUt2fD
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) August 25, 2021
Cruz’s comment followed a leaked State Department cable reported on Tuesday that noted less than 7 percent of Monday’s Afghanistan evacuees were Americans.
The Biden administration continues to airlift thousands of refugees while U.S. citizens remain trapped in the nation controlled by the Taliban, according to the report.
“NEW: Leaked State cable with evacuation numbers (as of Aug 23 at 1500 ET): Total manifested since midnight Kabul AUG 23: 483 AMCITS, 6,425 Afghans natls, 8 3rd country/unknown. Total = 6,916,” Politico reporter Alex Ward tweeted on Tuesday.
“Total manifested since op began: 4,407 AMCITS, 21,533 Afghans, 642 TCNs. Total = 26,582,” he added.
NEW: Leaked State cable with evacuation numbers (as of Aug 23 at 1500 ET):
Total manifested since midnight Kabul AUG 23: 483 AMCITS, 6,425 Afghans natls, 8 3rd country/unknown. Total = 6,916
Total manifested since op began: 4,407 AMCITS, 21,533 Afghans, 642 TCNs. Total = 26,582
— Alex Ward (@alexbward) August 24, 2021
On Tuesday, Ward also tweeted plans for flights in the following days.
Other items in cable:
• 128 planned flights in the next 48 hours
• Approx 13,000 people inside HKIA
• Denmark won’t temp host US SIVs
• Cyprus will host evacuees in the “low hundreds” for 30-60 days
• Netherlands to take 2k people for 60 days— Alex Ward (@alexbward) August 24, 2021
Another post added that 13,000 Afghan refugees are expected to be housed at Fort Bliss, a military base near America’s southern border in El Paso, Texas.
US official on #s diff: DOD #s “include coalition and charter flights, which they help facilitate.” State “numbers to date have not, as [State] does not play a role in these operations” & DOD #s “include contractors, US direct hires, & other USG personnel” while State doesn’t
— Alex Ward (@alexbward) August 24, 2021
In addition to the startling percentage of Americans who were evacuated on Monday, Politico reported there were 4,293 American citizens of the total 25,091 evacuees from Afghanistan, revealing just 17 percent of all evacuees in the operation so far have been American citizens.
Some Americans are also concerned over the number of Afghan refugees that will be living on U.S. military bases.
“Pentagon: Afghan refugees will be housed at McGuire AFB in New Jersey, in addition to Fort McCoy in Wis., Fort Bliss in Texas and Fort Lee, Va.,” Lucas Tomlinson, the Pentagon correspondent for Fox News, tweeted on Monday.
Pentagon: Afghan refugees will be housed at McGuire AFB in New Jersey, in addition to Fort McCoy in Wis., Fort Bliss in Texas and Fort Lee, Va.
— Lucas Tomlinson (@LucasFoxNews) August 23, 2021
“US military installations at Fort McCoy, Wisconsin, Fort Lee, Virginia, Joint Base McGuire-Dix, Lakehurst, New Jersey, and Fort Bliss, Texas are taking Afghans as they come into the US for further processing,” CNN reported.
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