FORT McCOY, Wis. — Officials at Fort McCoy say there are now more than 7,000 Afghan refugees being housed there as they continue to be assigned to bases following the end of the United States’ evacuation mission.
A Fort McCoy spokesperson told News 3 Now in an e-mail that they were prepared to support a total 13,000 Afghans.
The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reported Thursday night that officials expect to expand capacity to 13,000 refugees by Sunday, and most of the people arriving at the base are in need of medical care.
Fort McCoy is one of several bases across the country welcoming refugees and giving them a place to stay, along with Fort Bliss in Texas and Fort Lee in Virginia.
The federal government is working with state and local leaders, as well as the private sector, to help them find more permanent places to live.
For the Record: How to help Afghan refugees as they head to Wisconsin
Overall, more than 20,000 people who fled Afghanistan as the Taliban regained control of the country are now in the United States, and an estimated 40,000 more are at bases overseas and could soon be on their way to America.
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