According to Representative Tom Tiffany (R-Wis.-7), approximately 2,000 Afghan nationals are currently at Ft. McCoy in Wisconsin, all without a Special Immigrant Visa, meaning they are considered "humanitarian parolees." The Congressman toured the base Friday.
For more information on Humanitarian Parole and what it entails for evacuated Afghans, please read "What's Next for the Tens-of-Thousands of Afghan Refugees Coming to U.S.?".
However, Rep. Tiffany also raised concerns about recent reports stating that Afghan Parolees are free to leave Ft. McCoy at any time, adding that some have already chosen to do so and are now embedding in American communities.
"The personnel at the base can try to "discourage" them, but if they want to leave, they have already been paroled into the county, and there is no way to block them, the Republican Congressman told The Washington Times." Rep. Tiffany said that "only a few" have left so far, according to personnel at the base.
Humanitarian Parole is supposed to be used on a case-by-case basis and usually lasts one year, but Mr. Tiffany said those at Ft. McCoy had been granted two-year passes en masse.
According to The Washington Times:
It's not currently clear what sort of monitoring the government plans for the Afghans once they do leave base. Mr. Tiffany said State Department and Homeland Security employees were at the base but gave no assurances about the government's ability to keep tabs on people.
After assurances from officials on base that all Afghans are 'properly vetted,' Rep. Tiffany stated:
We want to know what people's history is, and I get the sense they're just pushing these people through. I think this is very similar to what is happening on the southern border, where they're just saying 'Come on in,' and we'll deal with the details later.
For some context, "during the first three months of this 2021, the government granted 137 SIVs to principal applicants but denied 728 applications, an 84% rejection rate," The Washington Times reports. In most cases, it is likely because applicants were overselling their assistance to the U.S. war effort - if they assisted at all.
For the complete story, please visit The Washington Times.
