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Trump Pledges to Rescue Afghan Evacuees in UAE After Early Deportations

Internal cables show some evacuees were already sent back to Taliban-governed Afghanistan before his pledge.

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks at a dinner with Republican Senators, in the State Dining Room at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., July 18, 2025. REUTERS/Annabelle Gordon/File Photo
British Royal Air Force plane which evacuated Afghan nationals arrives at Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC) in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, August 19, 2021. REUTERS/Rula Rouhana/File Photo
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Overview

  • President Trump vowed on July 20 to “try to save” Afghan evacuees stranded at Emirates Humanitarian City in the UAE.
  • An internal State Department cable reveals two families were returned to Afghanistan in early July and up to 25 more were slated for repatriation by July 20.
  • His administration halted refugee admissions in January and terminated temporary deportation protections for Afghans in the U.S. in April.
  • Since 2021, the UAE has processed around 17,000 Afghan evacuees, with about 1,000 resettled by Canada and over 30 still awaiting relocation.
  • Advocacy group AfghanEvac and Democratic lawmakers are pressing the White House to restore legal safeguards and expedite third-country resettlements.