US Extends Temporary Protected Status For Afghan Nationals

Shawn VanDiver, head of Afghan Evac, an organisation advocating for the relocation of Afghan nationals to the United States, has announced that the US federal government has granted a 60-day extension to Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Afghans.

The extension follows mounting concern over the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) April decision to terminate TPS for thousands of citizens from Afghanistan and Cameroon. That decision had placed approximately 14600 Afghan nationals, previously eligible for TPS, at imminent risk of deportation by May.

The revocation of TPS raised alarms not only among current status holders, but also within broader Afghan communities in the US, including asylum seekers and lawful permanent residents, many of whom fear the continued influence of Trump-era immigration policies on their legal standing.

Under the Trump administration, the State Department had disbanded the Office of the Coordinator for Afghan Relocation Efforts (CARE) and its accompanying initiative, Operation Enduring Welcome, significantly disrupting efforts to resettle Afghans who had been evacuated following the Taliban’s return to power in 2021.

Tricia McLaughlin, Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs at DHS, previously confirmed to Afghanistan International that the TPS designation for Afghans had been rescinded. She explained that the decision followed an inter-agency review, in which the Secretary of Homeland Security, after consultation with the State Department and other federal agencies, determined that Afghanistan no longer met the legal requirements for a continued TPS designation.

Additionally, DHS documents reveal that some Afghan TPS holders are currently under administrative investigation on grounds of alleged fraud, threats to public safety, and potential national security concerns.

The 60-day extension provides temporary relief for thousands of Afghan nationals while advocacy groups continue to push for more permanent legal protections and resettlement pathways.