Sen. King calls to preserve protected status of Afghans in U.S.
Jun. 5—U.S. Sen. Angus King on Thursday joined 28 Senate colleagues in calling on the Trump administration to reverse its sudden cancelation of Temporary Protected Status for Afghans who served alongside America's military, some of whom have settled in Maine.
In a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the senators noted the potentially devastating impact of the cancelation, set to take effect mid-July, particularly for Afghans who supported the U.S. military during the war in Afghanistan and who face significant danger if they return to their native country.
King, Maine's independent senator, is a senior member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and a longtime advocate of protecting Afghans who supported and protected American troops, including many who live in Maine.
"We write with deep concern about the Department of Homeland Security's termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Afghanistan, which is scheduled to take effect on July 14, 2025," the letter states. "This decision is devastating for resettled Afghan nationals in the United States who have fled widespread violence, economic instability, challenging humanitarian conditions, and human rights abuses in their home country."
The letter continues, "Many of these Afghans fearlessly served as strong allies to the United States military during the war in Afghanistan, and we cannot blatantly disregard their service."
The senators "respectfully ask that you redesignate Afghanistan for TPS to ensure Afghan nationals in the U.S. are not forced to return to devastating humanitarian, civic, and economic conditions," the letter states.
This story will be updated.
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