As the Taliban rapidly takes control of Afghanistan, the U.S. military has been racing to evacuate Americans living there, staff of the U.S. mission in Kabul and their families as well as thousands of Afghans eligible for special immigrant visas, according to the Associated Press.
Some people coming to the United States with special immigrant visas will soon settle in Seattle and Tacoma, according to the Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service, a nonprofit immigration and refugee service. It is seeking volunteers to help with picking up people from the airport, setting up apartments and meal assistance.
Many arriving with special immigrant visas were employed by the United States to serve alongside troops, diplomats and other government employees as interpreters, translators, drivers and cultural advisors, according to the service's website.
Nearly 2,000 people with special visas have arrived in the United States over the past two weeks, according to the AP. It's not clear how many people will arrive in Tacoma.
People fleeing Afghanistan are currently arriving in Tacoma, Seattle, Houston and Fort Worth, Texas and Washington, D.C., according to the nonprofit's website.
The nonprofit is also seeking volunteers for transportation assistance, aides for people whose first language is not English and mentorship. People interested in volunteering can sign up on its website.
