HOUSTON – A Houston family is among more than 100 Americans left behind in Afghanistan, according to a local high-ranking lawmaker.
Rep. Michael McCaul, who represents District 10 of Texas, said a family of four from the Houston area are currently stranded in Afghanistan.
The family has been desperately trying to leave for the past two weeks, even making its way to the airport in Kabul only to be stopped by the Taliban, according to CNN.
“We were in constant contact with our people on the ground regarding a family of four from Houston that had every right to get into that airport,” said the Republican congressman.
Rep. McCaul said the family has American passports. He said President Biden has failed on his promise to get all Americans and Afghan interpreters and contractors out of the country.
“We should have had the American citizens out prior to the military departing,” he said. “We seem to have gotten this one backward.
McCaul leads the House Foreign Affairs Committee for Texas. He said his committee became the clearinghouse for thousands of requests to get people out.
“It’s like making decisions of life and death,” McCaul said.
He said with U.S. troops no longer serving as eyes and ears on the ground, task forces are at the mercy of the Taliban to get the Houston family and other Americans out once the airport reopens.
“Hopefully we’ll get all the Americans out of there but the interpreters are going to be left behind,” he said. “They have basically a bullseye on their back and a death warrant.”
McCaul said the Houston family is among a number of Texas stranded in Afghanistan.