Sheriff raises concerns with Biden admin's plan to house 1000s of Afghan refugees near Va. schools

A Virginia sheriff has publicly raised concerns with a plan by the Joe Biden administration to reportedly house thousands of migrants in the Northern Virginia county of Loudon, allegedly within walking distance of at least two schools. 

Loudon County Sheriff Michael Chapman's office wrote on the sheriff's website this week that earlier this month the county received an "unannounced visit" by the Department of Homeland Security's Federal Protective Service.

At that meeting, the announcement said, the sheriff's office learned that "approximately 2000 Afghan refugees, per month, were slated to arrive at the Washington Dulles International Airport" and be housed in Loudon County's National Conference Center "until their ultimate relocation elsewhere in the United States."

Chapman reportedly later raised concerns with the Biden administration over Homeland Security's alleged "lack of communication, lack of planning, language barriers, a failure to communicate with a myriad of potential stakeholders, and the NCC’s unfenced proximity to a residential neighborhood and two public schools," specifically Riverside High School and Belmont Ridge Middle School.

The sheriff's office said Chapman attempted to resolve several disputes with the federal government, including security concerns and coordination with local authorities over the logistics of the undertaking. Expectations of resolution "have not been met," the sheriff's office said.

“We will continue to keep our community informed as this process continues," Chapman said in the news release. "If the resettlement proceeds, we will work with the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors and all stakeholders to ensure that appropriate resources are obtained for the refugees’ successful transition into the United States."