US lawmakers urge deportation relief for Afghans
Afghans crowd at the tarmac of the Kabul airport to flee the country as the Taliban took control of Afghanistan after President Ashraf Ghani fled the country and conceded the insurgents had won the 20-year war. PHOTO: AFP
A group of 100 Democratic lawmakers is urging top Trump administration officials to restore deportation protections for thousands of Afghans in the US, warning they would be sent back to "devastating humanitarian and economic conditions" in Afghanistan.
In a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the lawmakers called on the administration to restore access to the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) programme for Afghans.
They warned that women and children could face particular harm under the Taliban-led government in place since 2021. "The grave conditions that forced Afghan nationals to flee and seek refuge in the US following the return of the Taliban to power remain," the lawmakers said.
"Because of this harsh reality, forcing Afghan nationals in the US to return to Afghanistan would be reckless and inhumane, and would threaten the safety and well-being of thousands of individuals and families, especially women and girls."
The effort is being led by US Senator Chris Van Hollen, Representative Glenn Ivey and Senator Amy Klobuchar. TPS provides deportation relief and work permits to people already in the US if their home countries experience a natural disaster, armed conflict or other extraordinary event.
The Homeland Security Department announced to terminate TPS for Afghans in a May. It said that Noem had determined conditions in Afghanistan had improved enough to allow Afghans to return and that letting them stay in the US would be contrary to national interests.
The decision to end TPS — set to take effect July 14 – has sparked concern among Afghans depending on the status. DHS said in its termination notice that 11,700 Afghans were currently enrolled in TPS but that 3,600 had been approved for green cards as of April.
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