Overview

• The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has officially terminated Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for 14,600 Afghans and 7,900 Cameroonians, effective May and June, respectively.
• DHS Secretary Kristi Noem justified the decision by stating that Afghanistan and Cameroon no longer meet the statutory criteria for TPS, despite ongoing instability in both nations.
• Refugee advocates argue that conditions in Afghanistan, under Taliban rule, and Cameroon, plagued by conflict, remain unsafe for returnees and call the move a betrayal of humanitarian commitments.
• This decision follows a broader pattern of immigration rollbacks under the Trump administration, including recent attempts to end TPS protections for Venezuelans, which were temporarily blocked by courts.
• International deportation pressures are also mounting, with Pakistan expelling Afghan migrants and critics warning of severe risks for those forced to return to dangerous conditions.