The Biden administration is expanding a previous call for federal volunteers to aid in the U.S. resettlement of Afghan allies and their family members. CNN reports that the administration has asked U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) employees for assistance in states including California, Texas, and Wisconsin as part of Operation Allies Refuge. 

“As you may know, country conditions in Afghanistan are rapidly deteriorating,” CNN reports that USCIS told federal workers. “In response to this humanitarian crisis, USCIS has been asked to be prepared to support the United States government Operation Allies Refuge.” The notification warned “it is important to note that the situation in Afghanistan is fluid and can change at a rapid pace.”

Organizations that have historically aided in refugee resettlement have already been working to welcome Afghan allies and their families to their new homes. In some examples, Lutheran Social Services of the National Capital Area (LSSNCA) said it’s already welcomed a number of Afghan families. “As processing at Fort Lee only takes a matter of days, dozens of additional families are expected to be referred to the LSSNCA resettlement program every week,” the organization said. 

“LSSNCA, with our national partner Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Services (LIRS), has been advocating for the immediate evacuation of Afghan allies and their families,” LSSNCA CEO Kristyn Peck said. “For many, evacuation is a matter of life and death, and we are thrilled to witness the arrival of these heroic individuals and welcome them to our community.” KING 5 reports that World Relief Seattle is soon expecting about two dozen families. “We’re now hoping, waiting and praying that more people will make it out of harms way in the days and weeks to come,” executive director Chitra Hanstad said.

While roughly 2,500 families are expected to arrive through Fort Lee in Virginia, that represents just a fraction of the up to 88,000 allies and family members in the visa process and who are desperate to get out of Afghanistan, advocates said. “Earlier Monday, Pentagon press secretary John Kirby confirmed to CNN that the Department of Defense will potentially relocate up to 30,000 Afghan SIV applicants to the US. He said Fort Bliss in Texas and Fort McCoy in Wisconsin have the capability to house these applicants,” the report continued. They should all come here, because we owe it to them.

The Biden administration’s call for federal volunteers comes as the administration has authorized $500 million in funds “for the purpose of meeting unexpected urgent refugee and migration needs of refugees, victims of conflict, and other persons at risk as a result of the situation in Afghanistan, including applicants for Special Immigrant Visas,” a statement said.

President Joe Biden also said in an address earlier this week the administration was also “expanding refugee access to cover other vulnerable Afghans who work for our embassy,” and “U.S. nongovernmental organizations and Afghans who otherwise are a great risk in U.S. news agencies.” That appears to be part of a plan announced earlier this month. However, advocates have since said the policy has been “plagued with obstacles,” Religion News Service reports.

This is not the first time the Biden administration has called for federal volunteers to aid in humanitarian efforts relating to vulnerable people. In March, officials asked federal workers to volunteer in efforts placing unaccompanied asylum-seeking children with sponsors, BuzzFeed News reported. Officials had also expanded that call as more children remained in unsafe Customs and Border Protection facilities beyond the legal limit.