“The president needs to forget about the August 31 deadline,” Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell told Fox News. “Extend the boundary, get out of the perimeter, make sure that every single American who wants to leave is able to get out with our assistance and our Afghan allies,”
White House press secretary Jen Psaki said in a statement that Biden believes the military is in time to complete the evacuation before the limit, although “completing the mission on August 31 depends on continued coordination with the Taliban. , including continuous access to the airport for evacuees. ”
Four planes carrying about 1,000 Afghan evacuees landed at Washington’s Dulles Airport, the Pentagon said Tuesday. After initial processing, evacuees are sent to one of four military bases across the country, where they generally stay for 5-6 days to complete paperwork and undergo medical examinations before being dispatched to local communities across the country. .
Connecticut-based Integrated Refugee & Immigrant Services, for example, has hosted two families and expects to resettle 400 to 500 people over the next 12 months, according to Chris George, the group’s chief executive.