Sat Apr 12 00:08:39 UTC 2025: **Trump Administration Ends Temporary Protected Status for Thousands of Afghans and Cameroonians**

WASHINGTON D.C. – The Trump administration has ended the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for approximately 14,600 Afghans and 7,900 Cameroonians currently residing in the United States. The decision, confirmed Friday by a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson, will force these individuals, who have been granted temporary safety from conflict and instability in their home countries, to potentially face deportation.

The administration claims that conditions in both Afghanistan and Cameroon no longer warrant TPS designation. However, critics argue this assertion ignores the ongoing conflict in Cameroon between the government and separatists, and the dire humanitarian situation in Afghanistan under Taliban rule, which includes widespread human rights abuses.

Krish O’Mara Vignarajah, president of Global Refuge, called the revocation of TPS for Afghans “a morally indefensible betrayal,” warning of potential persecution upon their return. Similar concerns have been raised regarding Cameroonians facing ongoing violence and displacement.

While the US evacuated over 82,000 Afghans following the withdrawal of US troops, the vast majority received different legal statuses. The termination of TPS still affects a significant number of Afghans and Cameroonians. Their TPS protection will expire in May and June respectively.

Lawmakers from both sides of the aisle have previously urged the administration to extend TPS for both nationalities, citing ongoing crises. This move by the Trump administration is part of a broader crackdown on immigration, echoing previous attempts to end TPS for other nationalities, including Venezuelans and Haitians. Several of these attempts have been blocked by federal courts. The administration’s justification centers on “restoring the rule of law,” but critics see it as a politically motivated attack on immigration policies established under previous administrations. The affected individuals now face the prospect of deportation unless they can secure alternative legal pathways to remain in the US.

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