Afghan Refugees Arrive In Wisconsin: 5 Things To Know

WISCONSIN — The first refugees fleeing the Taliban in Afghanistan arrived in Wisconsin on Sunday.

Gov. Tony Evers said Wednesday that up to a thousand refugees would be housed at Fort McCoy near Tomah.

About 1,000 members of the U.S. Army and Army Reserve have assembled at the military installation to provide housing, medical, logistical and transportation support for the incoming refugees, Brigadier General Chris Norrie, the Task Force McCoy Commander, said in a statement.

People that enter the base will be housed in the barracks, Fort McCoy spokesperson Tonya Townsell told The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. The barracks won't be a long term residence for displaced people.

Here's five things to know as Afghan refugees arrive over the coming days:

• Fort McCoy is one of three military installations in the U.S. taking in refugees from Afghanistan. Fort Lee, in Virginia, and Fort Bliss, in Texas, and other potential military installations will receive people, the installation said.
• Most of the Afghan citizens arriving in Wisconsin aren't expected to resettle in the state. Those with family ties in the U.S. will likely be resettled close to where that family lives, Lutheran Social Services program manager Mary Flynn told The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
• Intelligence, law enforcement and counter-terrorism professionals are screening and vetting all special immigrant visa recipients before they are allowed to enter the United States, Department of Defense press secretary John Kirby said at a news conference.
• Lutheran Social Services, Jewish Social Services, International Institute of Wisconsin and World Relief are Wisconsin resettlement agencies that are seeking cash donations to help accommodate new people. A $50 gift card to a store like Target or Walmart will provide some financial freedom to settling refugees, Flynn told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
• The influx of people coming to Fort McCoy include people with special immigrant visa applications submitted by those who worked alongside U.S. troops in Afghanistan, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported. Green Card holders and vulnerable populations like women journalists and professors are included among incoming refugees.