Gov. Mike DeWine says 855 Afghan evacuees are coming to Ohio through State Department's Afghan Placement and Assistance Program. Fifty are slated for Cincinnati.
Catholic Charities of Southwestern Ohio will help them find housing and get settled.
"These are individuals who have been partners with United States and deserve our support in return for the support they've given us," says DeWine in a release. "Thank you to the resettlement agencies and communities who have stepped forward and demonstrated they have the resources necessary to help these individuals in their time of need."
The majority of the other evacuees will go to the Cleveland/Akron area (435) and Columbus (345) areas. The remaining 25 people are slated to go to Toledo.
They're arriving under a legal program known as "humanitarian parole" while they await refugee status or a special immigrant visa. The federal government is screening and vetting participants. Humanitarian parole provides a temporary authorization for the evacuees to enter the U.S. It's based on urgent humanitarian needs or other emergencies.
Placements are expected to take place over the next six months, according to the statement, though "the situation remains fluid."
According to the state, individuals are authorized to work. Children under 19 are eligible for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and children under 21 and pregnant women are available for Medicaid.
