A Memphis refugee resettlement agency is advocating for the city to take in more Afghan nationals who aided the U.S. government during its two-decades long war in the country.
At least two families are already expected to arrive here in the next few weeks, says PJ Moore, head of World Relief Memphis. The families are some of the thousands eligible for what are known as Special Immigrant Visas (SIV). Applying for one is reserved for Afghans who provided military or diplomatic missions with services such as translation, but it has historically been a drawn-out, bureaucratic undertaking, leaving thousands in vulnerable situations while they wait.
This story was published on August 19, 2021 for WKNO.