RASC News Agency: The United States Department of Homeland Security has confirmed that President Donald Trump’s administration has rescinded Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for thousands of Afghanistani and Cameroonian migrants an aggressive policy shift emblematic of the administration’s hardline approach to immigration enforcement. According to a departmental spokesperson, approximately 14,600 Afghanistani nationals previously shielded under TPS will lose their protected status in May. A similar measure affecting nearly 7,900 Cameroonian nationals will take effect in June.
TPS is a humanitarian safeguard extended to foreign nationals whose home countries are deemed unsafe for return due to armed conflict, environmental catastrophe, or other extraordinary crises. This designation enables recipients to live and work legally in the United States while temporarily shielding them from deportation. However, the status must be renewed periodically typically every six to eighteen months by the Department of Homeland Security.
Tricia McLaughlin, speaking on behalf of the department, cited remarks from newly appointed Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, stating: “Our comprehensive assessment indicates that conditions in both Afghanistan and Cameroon no longer justify the continuation of this protected status.” Following the Taliban’s return to power in 2021, the United States evacuated over 82,000 Afghanistani nationals. Of these, more than 70,000 entered the country under humanitarian parole, a provisional legal status valid for two years that grants temporary residency without a pathway to permanent settlement.
In 2023, the Biden administration justified the extension of TPS for Afghanistani nationals on the basis of continued instability and armed conflict. However, the resumption of Trump’s presidency has brought an abrupt end to that policy, reversing the humanitarian provisions instituted under his predecessor. Simultaneously, migrant advocacy groups have reported that numerous Afghanistani individuals who entered the United States through the CBP One application have recently received official notices terminating their temporary legal status. These notices provide recipients with only seven days to voluntarily depart the country.
The Department of Homeland Security has verified the issuance of these orders, affirming that the cancellations fall within its jurisdiction and advising affected individuals to initiate the voluntary departure process via the CBP Home application. It is noteworthy that, just last week, a similar batch of removal notices was erroneously issued to a group of Ukrainian migrants, raising further concerns regarding procedural inconsistencies within the system.
With the rollback of temporary protections and the narrowing of humanitarian relief pathways, thousands of Afghanistani migrants now face the looming threat of deportation. The move has triggered a wave of domestic and international condemnation. Human rights advocates have warned that forced repatriation to Taliban-controlled Afghanistan could expose returnees to severe persecution and, in many cases, life-threatening danger.
