The last group of Afghanistan nationals receiving temporary housing at Fort Bliss, Texas as part of the ongoing Operation Allies Welcome has recently left base and been resettled, a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) press release said.

Fort Bliss, which housed approximately 11,400 refugees, was one of eight military installations supporting the resettlement of Afghan nationals, the release said. The completion marks more than 52,000 evacuees resettled through the operation.

“The end of operations at Fort Bliss marks another important step in our mission to safely and successfully resettle our Afghan allies,” Senior Response Official for Operation Allies Welcome Robert J. Fenton, Jr., said in the release. "We are thankful for the partnership the local communities have forged with our teams and their support for this historic effort. We have made incredible progress over the last four months thanks to the dedication of our workforce and the backing Operation Allies Welcome has received from veterans, faith groups, non-governmental organizations, and Americans across the country.”

Approximately 22,500 refugees remain housed at Camp Atterbury, Indiana; Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey; Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico; Fort Pickett, Virginia; and Fort McCoy, Wisconsin, the release said. They are currently in the process of resettlement.

Operation Allies Welcome began on August 29, 2021, when President Biden directed DHS to lead and coordinate efforts supporting vulnerable Afghans, the DHS website said. Afghans who aided the U.S. during their occupation of the country were provided asylum and the opportunity to resettle in America. Candidates were rigorously screened for criminal backgrounds “by intelligence, law enforcement, and counterterrorism professionals from multiple federal agencies” and provided with necessary vaccines and health screenings, the release said.

“I am incredibly proud of the military men and women of Task Force Bliss and the entire interagency team who enabled the resettlement of approximately 11,400 Afghan evacuees,” Gen. Glen D. VanHerck, commander of U.S. Northern Command said in the release. “Over the past four months, our service members at this and other military installations provided essential support to Operation Allies Welcome for this important mission, ensuring Afghan nationals had what was needed while they completed resettlement requirements and prepared to transition to their new communities across America.”