Fort Bliss - Dona Ana Complex

Photo: Area photo of Dona Ana Range Complex facilities near Fort Bliss, New Mexico. (U.S. Army photo by Specialist Elijah Ingram, August 18, 2021)

There were eight mlitary installations housing Afghan evacuees. Fort Bliss, Texas was one of them at the Dona Ana Complex in New Mexico.

UPDATE: On December 31, 2021, Secretary Mayorkas announced that the last group of Afghan nationals departed the Dona Ana Complex.

Mayor Cell. This is where guests can bring any complaints, requests, questions, and report any crimes. The Afghan evacuees can come to the Mayor Cell for most of their needs. The Mayor Cell also works with nongovernmental organizations at the Dona Ana Complex to coordinate services for Afghan evacuees.

NGOs. The American Red Cross and other organizations are currently assisting the effort at the Dona Ana Complex. The Afghan evacuees can fill out Red Cross resource cards to state what they need for supplies - such as clothes and toiletries. These cards get collected up by command teams and brought to the Mayor Cell. The cards provide the info needed to fill care bags that are then dropped off to the families in need.

Visitation. Friends and family can visit the evacuees at a visitation area. The mayor cell coordinates transportation for the evacuees to the visitation area to spend time with their visitors. Visits usually last about 30 minutes.

Leaving Fort Bliss. For an Afghan evacuee to depart the Fort Bliss military installation he/she needs to go to Tent 701 and attend a "Know Your Rights Brief". They then can go to the departure tent and ask for Diocesan Migrant and Refugee Services (DMRS). They will pull their status and provide a timeline of when they can leave the camp and what may be holding up the departure. DMRS will track them and when they are eligible to leave will shttle them to the airport. There are three shuttles a day to the airport. As a sponsor you then just buy the plane ticket or go pick them up.

References

Topo Map Dona Ana, 1:50,000, USGS
https://store.usgs.gov/assets/MOD/StoreFiles/NGA/V781X47483_geo.pdf

News Articles about Dona Ana Complex

September 30, 2021. "Kids being kids at Fort Bliss' Dona Ana Complex", DVIDS.

September 6, 2021. "The heart of Operation Allies Welcome", DVIDS. The article by Spc. David Cordova describes the functions of the Mayor Cell at Dona Ana Complex in New Mexico.