{"id":165,"date":"2025-05-12T16:00:23","date_gmt":"2025-05-12T16:00:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/yesn2.com\/?p=165"},"modified":"2025-05-13T05:55:44","modified_gmt":"2025-05-13T05:55:44","slug":"trump-administration-ends-protections-from-deportation-for-afghans","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/yesn2.com\/index.php\/2025\/05\/12\/trump-administration-ends-protections-from-deportation-for-afghans\/","title":{"rendered":"Trump administration ends protections from deportation for Afghans"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Trump administration on Monday formally lifted a shield on deportation<\/a> of Afghans in the U.S., arguing improving conditions in the Taliban-run country mean its U.S.-based citizens no longer merit such protections.<\/p>\n

The announcement from the Department of Homeland Security would end temporary protected status (TPS) for Afghans, a protection offered by the Biden administration after the U.S. withdrawal amid deteriorating conditions<\/a> in the country.<\/p>\n

TPS can be initiated when the administration concludes it\u2019s not safe to deport people to their country due to civil unrest or other dangerous conditions.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis administration is returning TPS to its original temporary intent,\u201d Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Monday in a release.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve reviewed the conditions in Afghanistan with our interagency partners, and they do not meet the requirements for a TPS designation. Afghanistan has had an improved security situation, and its stabilizing economy no longer prevent them from returning to their home country.\u201d<\/p>\n

The filing of the\u00a0notice\u00a0in the Federal Register<\/a> said the protections will end in 60 days \u2014 the minimum timeline allowed under law.<\/p>\n

Poor conditions in Afghanistan have only accelerated since the 2021 U.S. withdrawal.  <\/p>\n

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees last month condemned forced deportations to Afghanistan from neighboring countries, writing that its \u201cescalating humanitarian crisis is being compounded by the mass return of its nationals.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe large-scale returns are putting even greater pressure on already stretched humanitarian resources and worsening the plight of millions struggling to survive,\u201d the report states<\/a>.<\/p>\n

A 2023 report from the State Department noted extensive gender-based violence and a \u201csignificant deterioration in women\u2019s rights during the year due to edicts that further restricted access to education and employment.\u201d<\/p>\n

It also cited a crackdown on religious minorities, LGBTQ Afghans, activists, and Taliban and ISIS-K recruitment of child soldiers.<\/p>\n

Afghanistan is also facing widespread food insecurity.<\/p>\n

Noem\u2019s analysis, however, cited a boost in Chinese tourism showing \u201cpeaceful\u201d conditions in the country, as well as improving economic conditions and reduced warfare.<\/p>\n

While last year nearly three-quarters of the country\u2019s 41 million people needed assistance, that number has now dropped, she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThough humanitarian need remains prevalent, the number of those in need of assistance has declined to 23.7 million this year, a decrease from the more than 29 million Afghan nationals in need reported the previous year,\u201d Noem concluded in the analysis shared in the federal register.<\/p>\n

The Afghan-American Foundation condemned the move when plans to lift the protections were first reported last month, calling it a betrayal of those who assisted the U.S. during its 20 years in the country. <\/p>\n

\u201cThe sacrifices Afghan allies made in service of the American mission in Afghanistan were not temporary, the protection we offer them must also be permanent. Any instance of that protection being pulled is not only a betrayal of these allies but of the 800,000 Americans who served alongside them in Afghanistan and the countless Americans who have worked to evacuate them to safety since 2021,\u201d Joseph Azam, the chair of the group\u2019s board, said in a statement. <\/p>\n

\u201cThe President got elected in part on the promise that he would fix the mistakes of the Biden administration in Afghanistan, by betraying Afghans he would be repeating one of the biggest ones.\u201d<\/p>\n

Many of the roughly 80,000 Afghans who came to the U.S. after the fall of Kabul have adjusted their status, either securing asylum or a Special Immigrant Visa given to those who assisted U.S. military efforts. But some 14,600 are still protected under TPS.<\/p>\n

Homeland Security was being sued for its plans to end TPS for Afghans even before Monday’s announcement.<\/p>\n

The agency said in April that Noem had ended TPS for Afghans on March 31, without disclosing the move.<\/p>\n

It was sued last week over its plans to lift the protections, noting a federal register notice is required.<\/p>\n

\u201cEach designation was first made in 2022, in response to the prolonged armed conflicts, hunger, and human rights abuses afflicting both countries. Each designation was extended fewer than 18 months ago for similar reasons,\u201d Citizens Assisting and Sheltering the Abused, also known as CASA Inc., wrote in the lawsuit.<\/p>\n

\u201cA TPS designation cannot be terminated in this manner,\u201d the lawsuit said of the lack of notice.<\/p>\n

In her statement, Noem also nodded to claims from some in the GOP that not all who entered the country during the withdrawal were affiliated with U.S. efforts in the country. However, the Special Immigrant Visa process has strict standards, shutting out those who may have assisted the U.S. military for less than three years.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe 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,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Shawn VanDiver, president and board chairman of #AfghanEvac, said the decision would \u201cshred\u201d U.S. credibility.<\/p>\n

“The decision to terminate TPS for Afghanistan is not rooted in reality \u2014 it’s rooted in politics. Afghanistan remains under the control of the Taliban. There is no functioning asylum system. There are still assassinations, arbitrary arrests, and ongoing human rights abuses, especially against women and ethnic minorities,\u201d he said in a statement.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat the administration has done today is betray people who risked their lives for America, built lives here, and believed in our promises. This policy change won\u2019t make us safer\u2014it will tear families apart, destabilize lives, and shred what\u2019s left of our moral credibility.\u201d<\/p>\n

Updated at 12:22 p.m. EDT<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Trump administration on Monday formally lifted a shield on deportation of Afghans in the U.S., arguing improving conditions in the Taliban-run country mean its U.S.-based citizens no longer merit such protections. The announcement from the Department of Homeland Security would end temporary protected status […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":167,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[10],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/yesn2.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/165"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/yesn2.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/yesn2.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/yesn2.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/yesn2.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=165"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/yesn2.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/165\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":166,"href":"https:\/\/yesn2.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/165\/revisions\/166"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/yesn2.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/167"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/yesn2.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=165"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/yesn2.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=165"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/yesn2.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=165"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}