WASHINGTON — The U.S. federal government has extended Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Afghan refugees currently residing in the United States, according to Shawn VanDiver, the head of AfghanEvac, a nonprofit organization advocating for Afghan evacuees.
In a statement posted on X, VanDiver said the extension will last 60 days. He added that no Afghan evacuees granted TPS by the U.S. government will face deportation during that time. The administration has not yet commented on whether it plans a longer-term extension beyond the current two-month window.
VanDiver noted that the decision applies only to refugees from Afghanistan and Cameroon, and does not include individuals from other countries currently seeking TPS protections.
The extension comes amid ongoing legal and political uncertainty over the fate of thousands of Afghans who were relocated to the United States following the fall of Kabul in August 2021. Many entered under humanitarian parole or temporary programs and have since faced an uncertain legal future.
Earlier this year, the U.S. Supreme Court ordered the federal government to resume processing Afghan refugee admissions, transfers, and resettlement programs, which had been paused under executive actions issued by President Donald J. Trump in January. The court set a phased timeline for compliance, with key dates falling between May 12 and May 19.
The White House has not publicly responded to the Supreme Court directive, and no formal steps have been announced to restart case reviews or relocation efforts.
The original suspension of the refugee process, signed by Trump in January, was intended to last 80 days pending further review. That period has now expired, but the Trump administration has yet to signal how it intends to move forward with pending Afghan cases.
Advocates and legal experts have warned that continued delays leave thousands of Afghan nationals — many of whom worked alongside U.S. forces or aid agencies — in legal limbo, unable to obtain permanent status or reunite with family members abroad.
