Nearly 12,000 Afghan migrants face deportation from the U.S. after a federal judge ends their Temporary Protected Status program.
In a significant blow to Afghan migrants in the United States, a federal judge in Maryland has ruled to end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for nearly 12,000 Afghans, leaving them vulnerable to arrest and deportation. The decision, delivered by Judge Theodore Chuang, dismissed a motion to extend TPS protections, with enforcement beginning Monday, July 14.
According to U.S. media, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) argued in May that “improved security and economic conditions” in Afghanistan disqualified the country from continued TPS designation. DHS Secretary Kristi Noem supported the decision, triggering backlash from humanitarian organizations.
Human rights groups, including Human Rights Watch, have sharply criticized the move, warning that forced returns to Taliban-controlled Afghanistan could endanger lives—especially for women and former U.S. allies. The concern is heightened by recent rulings from the International Criminal Court condemning gender-based oppression under the Taliban regime.
Immigration attorneys stress that many of the Afghans affected had arrived following the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021. While some are pursuing asylum claims, the expiration of TPS exposes them to imminent deportation, detainment, and the loss of work authorization.
Advocacy organizations have called for urgent legislative and executive action, citing the “legal limbo” faced by thousands who fled persecution and now risk being sent back to a country they can no longer safely call home.
This court ruling comes amid mounting concerns over the treatment of Afghan evacuees globally. The United Nations and refugee advocacy groups continue to report deteriorating humanitarian conditions in Afghanistan, including gender-based violence, food insecurity, and political repression.
With the Biden administration facing pressure to clarify its immigration stance, Afghanistan communities in the U.S. now await whether a political or legal reprieve can prevent what many fear could be a humanitarian misstep.
