AFGHANISTAN - Thousands of Afghans and Cameroonians will have their temporary depor-tation protections terminated, the US Department of Homeland Security has said.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem found the conditions in Afghanistan and Cameroon no longer merited US protections, according to a statement from DHS assistant secretary Tricia McLaughlin.
An estimated 14,600 Afghans previously eligible for temporary protected status (TPS) are now set to lose it in May, while some 7,900 Cameroonians will lose it in June. It comes on the same day a US judge ruled that the Trump administration could deport a university graduate, detained last month over his role in pro-Palestinian protests.
TPS is granted to nationals of designated countries facing conditions, such as armed conflict or environmental disasters, which make it unsafe for them to return home. The status typically lasts for up to 18 months, can be renewed by the incumbent Homeland Security secretary, and offers deportation protection and access to work permits. According to McLaughlin, in September 2023 the then Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas announced that TPS for Afghans would be extended by 18 months until 20 May of this year. (BBC)
