The United States has determined that conditions in Afghanistan no longer warrant extension of temporary protected status for thousands of Afghans, who were allowed into the country after they fled the country during the American military withdrawal in 2021.
As per determination, the Department of Homeland Secretary will not extend the TPS for thousands of Afghans with the consequence that they could be subject deportation from May 20 on.
Assistant secretary of public affairs at the DHS Tricia McLaughlin said following a review Secretary Kristi Noem has made the decision to end the temporary protections for Afghans.
“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.
The decision came after a review of the situation by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and its consultation with the Department of State.
Washington grants foreigners a stay in the United States under the TPS when they escape war or natural disasters and cannot return to their countries safely. The TPS coverage comes with protection against deportation and allows people to receive work authorizations as long as they remain eligible under the status .
Under the TPS more tha 9,000 Afghans were living in the United States as of September 2024.
Initially, the temporary protection status grants people permission to live in the United States from six to 18 months. After that he Homeland Security secretary extends the TPS coverage based on a determination of the situation obtaining in their country of origin.
