The United States government has announced it will terminate deportation protections for thousands of Afghans and Cameroonians currently residing in the country, according to a statement from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on Friday.
Approximately 14,600 Afghans who qualified for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) will lose that protection in May, while around 7,900 Cameroonians will see their TPS end in June.
President Donald Trump, who began his term by pledging to deport a record number of undocumented migrants, has aggressively pursued the rollback of legal protections extended under prior administrations. He has particularly criticized immigration programs initiated by his predecessor, Joe Biden, accusing them of overstepping legal boundaries.
TPS is a humanitarian program designed for individuals whose home countries are experiencing armed conflict, natural disasters, or other extraordinary crises. The protection is granted for a period ranging from six to eighteen months and can be extended by the Secretary of Homeland Security. It provides protection from deportation and allows recipients to work legally in the US.
DHS Secretary Kristi Noem determined that the current conditions in Afghanistan and Cameroon no longer meet the criteria for TPS, according to department spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin.
During Trump’s first term (2017–2021), he attempted to terminate TPS for many groups but faced legal pushback. A federal judge recently blocked efforts to revoke TPS for Venezuelans, describing the government’s portrayal of the group as criminal in nature as discriminatory.
Parole Revoked
Following the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan in 2021, the US evacuated more than 82,000 Afghans, including over 70,000 who entered the US on a temporary “parole” status allowing them to stay for two years. TPS later offered an additional layer of protection to many of these evacuees. In 2023, DHS affirmed that the conditions in Afghanistan—marked by ongoing conflict—warranted continued protection.
However, in recent days, immigration advocates have reported that many Afghans who entered the country through the Biden-era CBP One app have received notifications revoking their parole status and ordering them to leave within seven days.
McLaughlin confirmed that DHS has indeed rescinded some individuals’ parole, stating that the department is “exercising its discretionary authority.” No data was provided on the total number affected.
She added that those impacted are being encouraged to voluntarily depart the US by using the CBP Home App.
The notifications closely resemble erroneous messages sent last week to Ukrainian migrants, raising concerns about procedural accuracy.
