Biden Administration Repatriates Family of 10 American Citizens from Syrian Desert Camps

The Biden administration has successfully repatriated a family of 10 American citizens who were stranded for several years in desert camps and detention centers in Syria. These facilities were operated by a Kurdish-led militia that had been combatting the Islamic State, as confirmed by officials.

Resettlement of Non-American National

Additionally, the administration facilitated the return of a pair of half brothers, one of whom, a 7-year-old, is an American citizen. Notably, the resettlement of the other 9-year-old non-U.S. citizen boy marks the first instance of the United States accepting an individual from the Syrian war zone who is not an American national.

Repatriation and Resettlement Announcement

The transfer was officially announced early Tuesday in a statement issued by Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken. He described the operation as a “complex repatriation and resettlement” that involved 11 American citizens, five of whom were minors, and the 9-year-old non-U.S. citizen sibling of one of the U.S. citizen minors. Secretary Blinken emphasized that this repatriation marks the largest single repatriation of U.S. citizens from northeast Syria to date.

Identity of Individuals and Family

The statement concerning the transfer did not disclose the identities of the 12 individuals involved. However, two officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive details, revealed that 10 of them constituted a family previously reported on by The New York Times in September. The family includes a woman named Brandy Salman and her nine American-born children, with ages ranging from about 6 to 25.