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**Appeals Court Temporarily Blocks Trump Administration’s Move to End Protections for Afghan Nationals**

**Richmond, VA** – In a last-minute reprieve, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit has temporarily blocked the Trump administration from terminating Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for nearly 12,000 Afghans living in the United States. The order, issued just hours before the protections were set to expire, grants an administrative stay until Monday after a request from the immigration advocacy organization CASA.

The Trump Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced in May that it was ending TPS for Afghans, arguing that the situation in Afghanistan had improved to the point where returning nationals would not face a threat to their safety. However, rights advocates strongly disagreed, asserting that many Afghans, particularly those who aided the U.S. during its involvement in Afghanistan, would be targeted by the Taliban. They also cited the Taliban’s rollback of women’s rights as a grave concern.

CASA argued that the decision to end TPS for Afghans was arbitrary, discriminatory, and would cause “irreparable harm.” A federal judge had previously allowed CASA’s lawsuit challenging the decision to proceed, but didn’t grant CASA’s request to keep the protections in place while the lawsuit plays out. The appeals court has requested briefs from both sides this week, with the Trump administration required to respond by Wednesday night.

Shawn VanDiver, founder of AfghanEvac, a coalition of US military veterans and advocacy groups, welcomed the stay, calling on the DHS to reverse course and extend TPS protections immediately. The TPS designation allows Afghans to live and work legally in the U.S. and protects them from deportation.

The case comes as millions of Afghans face potential deportation from various countries, including Iran, Pakistan, and even Germany. Since the Taliban’s resurgence in 2021, approximately 180,000 Afghans have arrived in the U.S., with around 11,700 currently covered by TPS.

The Fourth Circuit’s decision provides a temporary lifeline for these individuals while the legal challenge unfolds. The outcome of the case could have significant implications for Afghans in the U.S. and other TPS holders, including Cameroonians also included in CASA’s lawsuit. The Trump administration has previously moved to end TPS for other groups, including Haitians and Venezuelans.

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