The Trump administration has announced it will terminate deportation protections for thousands of Afghans and Cameroonians residing in the US, a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) spokesperson stated on Friday.
Approximately 14,600 Afghans eligible for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) are set to lose this status in May. Around 7,900 Cameroonians, who previously had access to this status, will lose it in June following the termination.
US President Donald Trump, a Republican, took office in January with a pledge to deport record numbers of migrants living unlawfully in the US. Simultaneously, he has moved rapidly to strip migrants of temporary legal protections, thereby broadening the scope of potential deportees.
Trump has criticized the high levels of illegal immigration under Democratic former President Joe Biden, arguing that Biden’s programs offering legal status exceeded lawful authority.
The TPS program is available to individuals from countries experiencing natural disasters, armed conflicts, or other extraordinary events. This status, valid for 6–18 months, can be renewed by the Homeland Security Secretary and provides protection from deportation and access to work permits.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem determined that conditions in Afghanistan and Cameroon no longer warrant protected status, spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement.
Trump attempted to end most TPS enrollments during his 2017–2021 presidency but was blocked by federal courts. A US district judge, in late March, halted his effort to terminate TPS for Venezuelans, stating that officials’ portrayal of migrants as criminals “smacks of racism.”
Parole Revocation
The US evacuated over 82,000 Afghans from Afghanistan after the Taliban takeover in 2021, including more than 70,000 who entered the country with temporary “parole,” allowing legal entry for two years.
Temporary Protected Status offered an alternative avenue of protection. DHS stated in 2023 that the designation was warranted due to armed conflict and insurgency in Afghanistan.
Advocates have recently reported that migrants, including Afghans, who entered the US via the Biden-era CBP One app have received notices revoking their temporary parole and ordering them to leave the country within seven days.
McLaughlin confirmed this week that the department had revoked some migrants’ parole, stating that DHS was “exercising its discretionary authority.” She did not provide figures on the number of revocations.
“Affected individuals are urged to voluntarily self-deport using the CBP Home App,” she stated.
These notices resemble messages mistakenly sent to Ukrainians last week.
