Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mallorcas has pledged to “quickly and safely” resettle thousands of Afghan allies in the United States, alleging that the Department of Homeland Security is preventing evacuees from entering the United States due to “offensive” information obtained during the operation. screening.
Mayorcas was joined by Robert J. Fenton Jr., Senior Response Officer with the Unified Coordination Group, at a news conference Friday to discuss the Allied Welcome Operation – set up to help evacuate thousands of vulnerable Afghans from… Afghanistan Integration in the United States.
The Secretary of Homeland Security told reporters that approximately 40,000 US citizens and Afghan partners have arrived in the United States from Afghanistan and are undergoing initial processing at pre-designated US military bases before being resettled in local communities. Strengthening a basic screening and vetting process, both in the US and in transit countries, to ensure every person entering the country is properly screened.
Evacuation from Afghanistan: DHS leads the way in resettling Afghan nationals in the US, says Psaki
In response to a question from Fox News’ Jake Gibson, Mayorcas confirmed that individuals with “offensive information” had already been reported during the screening process, and that the US was working with transit countries on what to do with these individuals. The secretary did not specify the number of people reported or their current location.
Mayorcas said 400 employees from US Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the US Coast Guard and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) have been deployed to assist with the screening process. The government has also shipped hundreds of biometric machines to transit countries to help with this.
The Pentagon has designated eight military bases to house refugees, provide medical care, language access services, and medical assistance. Mayorkas said the aim of the operation was to remove Afghans from the bases and resettle them “as quickly and safely as possible” in the United States.
Mayorkas also stated that the United States had identified a “small number” of unaccompanied children evacuating from Afghanistan and expected more to arrive. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) works with the Department of Homeland Security, including international and not-for-profit organizations that facilitate care and other resources.
Some evacuees in Afghanistan have expressed their concerns through Customs and Border Protection at military bases around the world
Fenton said DHS is taking “every precaution” to help stop the spread of COVID by testing all evacuees upon arrival and providing vaccinations.
The Minister of National Security described the evacuation from Afghanistan as “unprecedented and historic,” noting that 120,000 people had been evacuated from Afghanistan since the US withdrawal began.
Last week, President Biden directed the Department of Homeland Security to serve as the lead coordinating agency to help resettle Afghan refugees in the United States. First treatment and resettlement of Afghans who are not allowed to do so. Be a US citizen, green card holder, or lawful permanent resident.
“DHS has already worked closely with government agencies—including the military, diplomats, the intelligence community, law enforcement experts, and others—to ensure that all Afghans are screened and screened prior to entering the United States.” This was said by press official Jen Psaki during a press conference.
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The Department of State has established “appropriate facilities” throughout the United States to accommodate Afghan visa applicants while their vetting process is completed.
However, when printed at a press conference on Thursday, the State Department did not specify what will happen to Afghan evacuees for Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) who fail the “strict” screening process.
Peter Aitken and Caitlin McFall of Fox News contributed to this report.
