Trump says he will help Afghans stuck in UAE
Trump, who promised a far-reaching immigration crackdown, suspended refugee resettlement after he took office in January. In April, the Trump administration terminated temporary deportation protections for thousands of Afghans in the US.
"I will try to save them, starting now," Trump said in a post on Truth Social that linked to an article on the Afghans held in limbo there.
He cited news website Just the News as saying UAE officials were preparing to hand over some Afghan refugees to the Taliban. Reuters has not confirmed the report.
The US state department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The UAE, a close security partner of the US, agreed in 2021 to temporarily house several thousand Afghans evacuated from Kabul as the Taliban ousted the US-backed government during the final stages of the US-led withdrawal. Nearly 200,000 Afghans were brought to the US by former president Joe Biden's administration since the chaotic US troop withdrawal from Kabul. Canada agreed in 2022 to resettle about 1,000 of the Afghans held in the UAE after a US request. It is unclear how many remain in the Gulf country.
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