More Than 200 Afghans Arrive In U.S. On First Evacuation Flight

The newly arrived Afghan people will join 70,000 others who have resettled in the United States since 2008 under the special visa program.

The first flight evacuating Afghans who worked alongside Americans in Afghanistan brought more than 200 people, scores of them children and babies in arms, to new lives in the United States on Friday, and President Joe Biden said he was proud to welcome them home. The launch of the evacuation flights, bringing out former interpreters and others who fear retaliation from Afghanistan's Taliban for having worked with American service members and civilians, highlights American uncertainty about how Afghanistan's government and military will fare after the last U.S. combat forces leave that country in the coming weeks. Family members are accompanying  the interpreters, translators and others on the flights out. The first evacuation flight carried 221 Afghans under the special visa program, including 57 children and 15 babies.