Turning Point USA

The Trump administration has announced the termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Afghan refugees, opening the door for tens of thousands of Afghan migrants to be deported from the US.

In a statement, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said the move is part of the administration’s effort to return TPS to its “original temporary intent.” Noem explained that the Department of Homeland Security reviewed conditions in Afghanistan in coordination with interagency partners and determined they no longer meet the requirements for TPS designation.

“Afghanistan has had an improved security situation, and its stabilizing economy no longer prevent them from returning to their home country,” Noem said. “Additionally, 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. Reviewing TPS designations is a key part of restoring integrity in our immigration system.” 

Roughly 76,000 Afghans entered the US under the previous administration, following the disastrous US withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021. According to CBS News, most of these refugees were resettled in Texas, California, and Virginia.

The Afghan population in the US rose significantly between 2010 and 2022, reaching nearly 200,000, a report by the Migration Policy Institute noted. However, it remains unclear how many of those individuals have received lawful permanent residency. The US also created the Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) program in 2006 to assist Afghan and Iraqi translators who worked with the US military in obtaining green cards. The program was expanded in 2009 to include other Afghan nationals employed by the US.

With the end of TPS, deportation protections for Afghan refugees will expire in 60 days. Noem determined that allowing Afghan nationals to remain temporarily in the US is “contrary to the national interest of the United States.”