WASHINGTON — A group of girls from Afghanistan are finally getting their wish of coming to the United States for a robotics competition. The girls’ applications for U.S. visas had been denied twice, but the White House says President Donald Trump intervened and they will be allowed in to participate in the competition. Homeland Security Department spokesman David Lapan said the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services approved a State Department request for six girls from the war-torn country to be allowed in, along with their chaperone, so they can participate in the competition. The State Department and Department of Homeland Security came up with several — with the idea of “paroling” the girls through the Department of Homeland Security, the option ultimately chosen by the National Security Council.

Source: National Post July 13, 2017 08:26 UTC