Trump Ends Protected Status for Afghan Nationals, Raising Fears of Deportation

The Trump administration has announced the termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Afghan nationals, a decision that could put thousands at risk of deportation as soon as next month.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirmed on Friday that TPS, which was granted to around 14,500 Afghans due to ongoing security threats in their home country, will end in May. The status had provided protection from deportation and allowed access to work permits.

Tricia McLaughlin, Assistant Secretary of Public Affairs at DHS, explained that the decision was made after a review of the current conditions in Afghanistan by DHS Secretary Kristi Noem.

“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.

TPS is typically granted to nationals of countries experiencing armed conflict, environmental disasters, or other extraordinary circumstances. The designation, which typically lasts between six and eighteen months, can be extended at the discretion of the DHS Secretary.

The Biden administration first designated TPS for Afghan nationals in 2022, renewing it in 2023 due to the ongoing instability, economic hardship, and internal displacement caused by Taliban rule.

The decision has sparked widespread criticism from advocacy groups and veterans involved in Afghan resettlement efforts. Shawn VanDiver, a military veteran and president of AfghanEvac—a non-profit organization assisting Afghan evacuees—called the decision “cruel and chaotic”.

“The conditions on the ground haven’t improved—they’ve worsened,” he said. “Afghans who were invited here, who built lives here, are now being told they don’t matter. It undermines everything America claimed to stand for when we promised not to leave our allies behind.”

Many of the Afghans currently in the U.S. arrived after the withdrawal of American forces from Afghanistan in August 2021. Over 82,000 people were evacuated during that time, with more than 70,000 granted temporary humanitarian parole, a status which is now also set to expire, according to Reuters.

In a related development, Afghan nationals who entered the US through CBP One, a mobile application introduced by President Joe Biden to manage asylum claims, have reportedly received notices revoking their parole. Many have been given only seven days to leave the country.

This policy shift comes as the Trump administration moves forward with a broader tightening of immigration regulations. Since returning to office in January, Trump has pledged to carry out what he called the largest mass deportation in U.S. history. His administration has already begun dismantling temporary protections for migrants and suspending refugee resettlement programs.

Among those affected by the decision are thousands of Afghans who worked alongside U.S. forces during the two-decade-long American military presence in Afghanistan. Despite being approved for relocation, many remain stranded in countries like Pakistan due to the abrupt policy reversal.

With the termination of TPS and the closing of other humanitarian pathways, U.S. lawmakers and activists are warning that the country is abandoning its commitments to “Afghan allies” at a time when their safety remains uncertain.