Trump Decides It's Time for Afghans to Leave the US.
From The Hill (edited)
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 (TPS) for Afghans, a protection offered by the Biden administration after the U.S. withdrawal amid deteriorating conditions in the country.
TPS can be initiated when the administration concludes it’s not safe to deport people to their country due to civil unrest or other dangerous conditions.
“This administration is returning TPS to its original temporary intent,” Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Monday in a release.
“We’ve 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.”
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.
“The 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,” Joseph Azam, the chair of the group’s board, said in a statement.
“The 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.”
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.
Homeland Security was being sued for its plans to end TPS for Afghans even before Monday’s announcement.
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 (TPS) for Afghans, a protection offered by the Biden administration after the U.S. withdrawal amid deteriorating conditions in the country.
TPS can be initiated when the administration concludes it’s not safe to deport people to their country due to civil unrest or other dangerous conditions.
“This administration is returning TPS to its original temporary intent,” Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Monday in a release.
“We’ve 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.”
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.
“The 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,” Joseph Azam, the chair of the group’s board, said in a statement.
“The 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.”
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.
Homeland Security was being sued for its plans to end TPS for Afghans even before Monday’s announcement.
