Afghans Who Helped American Troops Arrive at Fort Lee in Virginia

The first flight of Afghans who helped American Troops arrived in the U.S. today. According to the Biden administration, the first group of approved Afghan applicants for a special immigrant visa touched down and traveled to Fort Lee Virginia today. The flight carried 200 people including applicants and their families as part of a priority group of 700 applicants who have completed the majority of the background processes required to get their visas. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the Afghans would finish the “remaining steps on their path to becoming America’s newest immigrants” at Fort Lee. The arrival is one of many expected for the next several months as thousands more wait in Afghanistan. Out of the 20,000 people in the SIV pipeline, 10,000 have only begun the process. U.S. officials are looking to relocate the applicants to military bases like Fort Lee and even some third countries so they can complete the application and clearance process in safety.