Afghans lose protected status as Trump tightens immigration rules

(Web Desk): The Trump administration has announced the termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Afghan nationals, putting the legal status of approximately 11,000 Afghans residing in the United States at risk.

US Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem issued a statement saying: “The security situation in Afghanistan has improved, and the legal conditions for TPS are no longer met.”

She further stated that TPS will expire on May 20 and will be fully terminated by July 12, 2025.

Sean VanDiver, president of the human rights organization AfghanEvac, criticized the government’s decision as “disconnected from reality and political,” stating: "Afghanistan is still under Taliban control, and survival remains impossible for women, minorities, and dissidents."

This decision comes at a time when the Trump administration is enforcing strict immigration policies.

Former President Biden had extended TPS protections for several countries before leaving office.

The Department of Homeland Security also claims that some Afghan TPS holders have become “a threat of fraud and to national security.”