The Trump administration on Monday did away with Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for thousands of Afghans now in the US, citing improvements in the country's security and economy. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said a review with "interagency partners" determined that Afghanistan no longer meets the standard to justify TPS, a status that lets people stay in the US if it is dangerous to return home. NBC News reports critics are balking at that assessment, arguing the move will endanger people's lives—among them Afghans who worked alongside the US military during the two-decade war against the Taliban.
Eleanor Acer of Human Rights First called the notion that it's safe for refugees to return "absurd and divorced from reality," saying "journalists, human rights advocates, religious minorities, women's rights defenders, and people who worked with the US military and government are all in danger of Taliban persecution or retaliation if they are forced back to Afghanistan." To that end, the Hill cites a 2023 State Department report that found a "significant deterioration in women's rights," along with a worsening situation for religious minorities, LGBTQ Afghans, and activists, as well as the recruitment of child soldiers by the Taliban and ISIS-K.
Others took issue with Noem's characterization of a "stabilizing economy," saying poverty and hunger are rampant there. From Noem's analysis: "Though humanitarian need remains prevalent, the number of those in need of assistance has declined to 23.7 million this year, a decrease from the more than 29 million Afghan nationals in need reported the previous year"; the country's population stands at 41 million people. The Hill reports TPS was granted under the Biden administration in the wake of the US withdrawal from the country in 2021. The protections will officially end in 60 days. (This content was created with the help of AI. Read our AI policy.)
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