WASHINGTON: The Trump administration has said that it will terminate the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) designation for thousands of Afghans residing in the United States, potentially exposing them to deportation from May 20.
The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirmed on Friday that it would not renew TPS for approximately 14,600 Afghans.
The move has sparked criticism from refugee advocacy groups and bipartisan lawmakers, who warn that deporting Afghans to a country under Taliban control could place them at serious risk.
TPS is a legal provision that grants temporary protection from deportation and work authorisation to nationals of countries facing armed conflict, environmental disaster or other extraordinary conditions.
Afghanistan was first designated for TPS in 2022 by the Biden administration in response to the deteriorating security and humanitarian situation following the US withdrawal and Taliban takeover in 2021. The designation was renewed in 2023.
In a statement released on Friday, DHS Assistant Secretary of Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin said Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem had made the decision after a review conducted by US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and in consultation with the Department of State.
“The Secretary determined that Afghanistan no longer continues to meet the statutory requirements for its TPS designation and so she terminated TPS for Afghanistan,” McLaughlin said.
Critics, however, strongly dispute that assessment. Krish O’Mara Vignarajah, president of the nonprofit Global Refuge, called the move “a morally indefensible betrayal,” adding that the conditions in Afghanistan remain dire under Taliban rule.
“Afghanistan today is still reeling from Taliban rule, economic collapse, and humanitarian disaster,” Vignarajah said in a statement. “Nothing about that reality has changed.”
The Taliban’s control of Afghanistan has been marked by widespread human rights violations, including the arrest of former government officials, repression of dissent, and sweeping restrictions on women’s rights.
Shawn VanDriver, a US military veteran and president of the nonprofit AfghanEvac, said the decision ignores the ground realities in Afghanistan.
“The conditions on the ground haven’t improved—they’ve worsened,” VanDriver said.
“Afghans who were invited here, who built lives here, are now being told they don’t matter. It’s cruel, it’s chaotic, and it undermines everything America claimed to stand for when we promised not to leave our allies behind.”
Many Afghans currently in the US under TPS had previously worked with the US government during its 20-year presence in Afghanistan.
While thousands have resettled under the Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) or refugee programmes, advocacy groups say many are still awaiting approval amid bureaucratic delays. For them, TPS has provided critical legal protection.
Andrew Sullivan, executive director of the nonprofit No One Left Behind, said the decision throws US allies into “harmful uncertainty.”
“Many of these allies completed the requisite substantial and valuable service to U.S. national security, yet are still in processing for an SIV because of documents and connections lost in the chaos of the US withdrawal,” Sullivan said.
The termination of TPS for Afghans is part of a broader immigration crackdown under President Donald Trump’s second term.
Since returning to office, Trump has targeted several humanitarian and legal protections for migrants and refugees, including TPS designations and parole programmes.
Last month, DHS announced plans to revoke TPS for Venezuelans, a move that was temporarily blocked by a federal judge in San Francisco.
US District Judge Edward Chen said ending TPS for Venezuelans would “inflict irreparable harm” and criticised the administration’s failure to provide compelling justification.
The Trump administration has also announced it will end TPS for Cameroonians in June.
Pakistan, US Discuss Regional Security, Defence Cooperation
Pakistan Condemns Killing of Eight Nationals in Iran
Iran Says Talks with US to Focus Solely on Nuclear Issue and Sanctions Relief
Pakistan Will Not Retaliate Against US Tariffs Despite Concerns: Finance Minister
Fakhar, Billings Power Lahore Qalandars to 219/6 Against Quetta Gladiators in PSL 10
Pakistan, US Discuss Regional Security, Defence Cooperation
Saudi Arabia Adds ‘Al Pakistan Gulf’ Shipping Service to King Abdulaziz Port
Pakistan Condemns Killing of Eight Nationals in Iran
Thousands of Sikh Pilgrims Arrive in Pakistan for Vaisakhi Mela
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Defiance on Refugee Policy: A Principled Stance or Political Score-Settling?
Pakistan Eyes Seafood Export Boom as EU Team Inspects Processing Facilities
Arif Alvi’s US Lobbying Effort is A Waste of Millions of Dollars: Republican Politician
US-Russia Relations Move Beyond Ukraine War
What is US Delegation’s Pakistan Visit Agenda?
Privacy Policy
Terms and Conditions
About Us
Contact Us
© 2025 WE News English. All Rights Reserved
Trump Administration Ends Temporary Protected Status For Thousands Of Afghans – WE News English
