ten to 50 and doubling the number of sib in ten to 50 and doubling the number of sib in kabul. even as many embassy personnel sib in kabul. even as many embassy personnel returned to the united states personnel returned to the united states we sent more council officers to kabut states we sent more council officers to kabul to states we sent more council officers to kabul to process sib applications. as a result of these and other applications. as a result of these and other steps including working with congress by may we had reduced the average processing time for special the average processing time for special immigrant visas by more than a year~ special immigrant visas by more than a year~ even special immigrant visas by more than a year. even amid a covid search with a year. even amid a covid search with in a year. even amid a covid search with in kabul injune we continue to issue with in kabul injune we continue to issue the with in kabul injune we continue to is
visas for afghans who had worked for us and visas for afghans who had worked for us and by visas for afghans who had worked for us and by our side these past 20 years us and by our side these past 20 years. when we took office we inherited years. when we took office we inherited a programme with a 14 step process inherited a programme with a 14 step process based on a statutory framework, enacted by congress and involving framework, enacted by congress and involving multiple government agencies and a backlog of more than 17,000 agencies and a backlog of more than 17,000 applicants. there have not been 17,000 applicants. there have not been a 17,000 applicants. there have not been a single interview in the sib programme in kabul going back march 2020 that programme in kabul going back march 2020 that the programme was basically in a stall. within two weeks basically in a stall. within two weeks of basically in a stall. within two weeks of taking office we restarted t
nowhere from the state department, no actionable, no useful information to get them out of there. they were basically being told like everybody else text message, go to the gate. if you get to the taliban checkpoint tell them you are an american citizen and let you through. they did this every single day they went to the gate. i got more and more dangerous everyday until eventually, like you said, she had a gun point to her head up your the uncle was beaten severely. the 15-year-old struck on the head. they were fearing for their lives and they were told if they come back, they would be killed. once the americans left come at one .200 feet from the gate and could not get the americans and the mse to go identify them somehow and get inside the gate. it became obvious they were not going to get out of there after the americans. luckily the team on the inside sib applicants had worked with american troops and security contractors for years and had a relationship and when i say we,
the status. sib the folks who helped us in afghanistan. applicants are the ones who say they helped us in afghanistan. we have information on those people, but they are a small portion of the total population. we have very little information in those magnificent databases that general milley likes to talk about about the vast majority of people seeking to come to this country in the biden administration is leading them in any way, shoveling them in here in enormous numbers. laura: and the cost of all of this is rarely discussed. but housing allowance that s true. laura: you get a stipend, and kids in public schools, how does this affect local communities that will have to absorb all of these individuals and many of them have never been here, obviously? well, they ve never been here overwhelmingly. and they are coming from very different cultures, something
civilian get back up again and the taliban let the people leave. we know some of the people who are still in the country sleeping someplace efrls night and hiding and keeping a low profile. it s a dangerous situation. nick paton walsh, thank you. joining us now is cedric layton a cnn analyst and prior member of the joint staff at the pentagon. ties nice to have you. you heard him talking about the afghans who could be left behind. i understand you re speaking to someone in kabul about that very subject. what are you hearing? well, laura, that s exactly right. what i m hearing is that people that sib recipients are not able to get their visas. there s no mechanism for them, apparently, while they re still in kabul to get the visas they can print it out or put it on their phones and go to the airport. so there s that problem. there s a problem of getting to the airport and then the other thing that these people are dealing with is the fact, and