The Trump administration has terminated Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for approximately 14,600 Afghans and 7,900 Cameroonians, according to the Department of Homeland Security. The decision, announced on Friday, is part of President Trump’s broader immigration enforcement agenda.
TPS provides deportation relief and work authorization to nationals from countries experiencing armed conflict, natural disasters, or other extraordinary conditions. The protections for Afghans will expire in May, and those for Cameroonians will end in June. 
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem stated that conditions in both countries no longer meet the criteria for TPS designation. However, human rights advocates argue that Afghanistan remains under Taliban rule, with ongoing humanitarian crises, and Cameroon continues to face violence between government forces and separatists.
“Terminating protections for Afghans is a morally indefensible betrayal of allies who stood shoulder-to-shoulder with us to advance American interests,” said Krish O’Mara Vignarajah, president of the nonprofit Global Refuge.
The administration has also begun revoking temporary parole for some Afghans who were evacuated after the Taliban’s takeover in 2021, instructing them to leave the country within seven days unless they have another legal basis to remain.
Legal challenges have previously blocked efforts to end TPS for other nationalities. In late March, a federal judge halted the administration’s attempt to terminate TPS for Venezuelans, citing potential harm to the affected individuals. 
Advocates and some lawmakers are urging the administration to reconsider its decision, emphasizing the ongoing dangers in Afghanistan and Cameroon.
