The Trump administration has officially ended Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for thousands of Afghans and Cameroonians living in the United States, the Department of Homeland Security confirmed on Friday.
- The Trump administration has ended Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for thousands of Afghans and Cameroonians living in the United States.
- Around 14,600 Afghans will lose their TPS status by May, while around 7,900 Cameroonians will face termination of protections by June.
- The termination of TPS for these groups expands the number of migrants vulnerable to deportation.
The Trump administration has officially ended Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for thousands of Afghans and Cameroonians living in the United States, the Department of Homeland Security confirmed on Friday, marking another step in the administration’s sweeping immigration clampdown.
The Biden administration first offered TPS for Afghans in 2022 after the military pullout, citing ongoing strife.
Now, roughly 14,600 Afghans currently protected under TPS will lose their status by May, while around 7,900 Cameroonians will face termination of protections by June, Reuters reported.
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CASA, an advocacy organization supporting Cameroonian and other Black and Latino migrants, announced plans to file a lawsuit aimed at reinstating TPS protections, according to Bloomberg.
“By ending TPS for Cameroon, President Trump has again prioritized his instincts for ethnic cleansing by forcibly returning people to violence, human rights violations and a humanitarian crisis,” CASA Executive Director Gustavo Torres said in a statement.
Trump’s immigration stance
President Donald Trump, who began his term in January, has pledged aggressive immigration enforcement and has moved quickly to dismantle programs offering temporary legal status.
The termination of TPS for these groups expands the number of migrants now vulnerable to deportation.
TPS is granted to nationals of countries undergoing armed conflict, natural disasters, or other extraordinary crises.
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It offers beneficiaries protection from deportation and permission to work in the U.S., typically for 6 to 18 months, with the possibility of renewal by the Secretary of Homeland Security.
According to DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin, Secretary Kristi Noem determined that the current conditions in Afghanistan and Cameroon no longer justify continued protection under the program.
