Dhs Terminates Temporary Protected Status Program For Afghans

Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem announced on Monday that the U.S. will terminate the temporary protected status program for Afghanistan, a move that could lead to the deportation of over 9,000 Afghans residing in the country.

Noem said in a statement that the conditions in Afghanistan have improved sufficiently to warrant the program’s termination. Afghans’ temporary protected status will expire on May 20 and the elimination of the program will take effect on July 12.

“This administration is returning TPS to its original temporary intent,” Noem said. “We’ve reviewed the conditions in Afghanistan with our interagency partners, and they do not meet the requirements for a TPS designation.”

Noem also claimed that the termination aligns with the Trump administration’s efforts to root out fraud in the immigration system.

“The termination furthers the national interest as DHS records indicate that there are recipients who have been under investigation for fraud and threatening our public safety and national security,” Noem said.

The TPS program provides temporary legal status and work authorization to nationals from countries experiencing armed conflict, natural disasters, or other extraordinary conditions. Former President Joe Biden designated Afghanistan for TPS following the Taliban’s takeover and the U.S. withdrawal from the country in 2021, which led to the evacuation of tens of thousands of Afghans to the U.S., many under temporary “parole” status.

DHS decided to not renew expiring temporary protections for thousands of Afghans living in the U.S. last month, raising concerns about the future of Afghanistan's TPS designation.

However, the Trump administration has considered exempting Christians from its campaign to deport Afghan refugees, which Christian leaders and nonprofit organizations say face persecution if sent back to the Taliban-controlled country.

Refugee rights groups have condemned the administration, saying that many Afghans protected by the program have aided U.S. national security efforts. The nonprofit #AfghanEvac, which helps Afghan families resettle in the U.S., called the move “unconscionable.”

“What the administration has done today is betray people who risked their lives for America, built lives here, and believed in our promises,” The group wrote in a post to X on Monday.

The decision is part of a broader immigration crackdown that has dominated the early months of Trump’s second term, including his administration’s repeated efforts to terminate TPS protections for about 600,000 Venezuelans residing in the U.S.

The Justice Department filed an emergency appeal to the Supreme Court to lift a judge’s order blocking the administration’s plan to end TPS protections for Venezuelans earlier this month.