The U.S. State Department plans to resettle 150 Afghans in Nevada, with about 100 expected to go to northern areas including Reno and Sparks and about 50 to the Las Vegas area, Gov. Steve Sisolak's office said Tuesday.
Immediate resettlement plans were not disclosed and the governor's office said the first people to arrive under the federal Afghan Placement and Assistance program weren't available for immediate interviews "for concerns for their safety."
The state was awaiting word from the federal government about how many Afghan refugees and special immigrant visa holders will eventually be sent to Nevada, Sisolak said in a statement.
"Nevada is and will continue to be a welcoming state for all," said the governor, a Democrat. "I am proud of our long-standing tradition of resettling refugees and other eligible populations fleeing from persecution fearing for theirs and their families' lives and safety."
Sisolak said his Governor's Office for New Americans was working through Catholic Charities of Southern Nevada, which serves as the state's Office of Refugee Resettlement.
Deacon Thomas Roberts, president and CEO of Catholic Charities of Southern Nevada, said the lack of affordable housing was a key factor in allocating 50 people to Southern Nevada and 100 to the north.
He noted also there are differences in services and benefits available through regular Catholic Charities services and those provided to Afghan evacuees.
The Biden administration has set a goal of taking in 125,000 refugees and their families to the U.S. next year.
As president, Donald Trump capped the number of refugees at 15,000, the lowest since the 1980 Refugee Act took effect. President Joe Biden faced criticism when he only raised the cap to 62,500 after taking office.
Despite recent evacuations from Afghanistan, the U.S. will fall short of that number by the Sept. 30 end of the fiscal year, officials said.
Biden is asking Congress to approve $30 billion for resettlement and special immigrant visas for Afghans and their families. Many evacuees worked with U.S. military and intelligence services during the 20-year war.
The Biden administration last week notified states that nearly 37,000 arrivals are slated to be resettled across the U.S.
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