More than 100 Democrats urge Trump officials to restore deportation relief for Afghans in the US
By Ted Hesson
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -A group of 101 Democratic lawmakers is urging top Trump administration officials to restore deportation protections for thousands of Afghans in the U.S., 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 program for Afghans, saying 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 U.S. following the return of the Taliban to power remain," the lawmakers said. "Because of this harsh reality, forcing Afghan nationals in the U.S. 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 U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen, Representative Glenn Ivey and Senator Amy Klobuchar. TPS provides deportation relief and work permits to people already in the U.S. if their home countries experience a natural disaster, armed conflict or other extraordinary event.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security said in April that it would terminate TPS for Afghans and formally announced the termination in a May notice. The notice said that Noem had determined conditions in Afghanistan had improved enough to allow Afghans to return and that letting them stay in the U.S. 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.
President Donald Trump's Republican administration has ended TPS for some 350,000 Venezuelans and moved to end it for thousands more from Cameroon.
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.
Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski and Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen also voiced concerns over the Afghanistan TPS termination in a May letter to Noem and Rubio.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Newsweek
43 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Donald Trump Says 'Bring in the Troops' as LA Riots Escalate
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. President Donald Trump called for troops to enter Los Angeles amid rioting in the Californian city that stemmed from protests against immigration enforcement. The Republican president is deploying 2,000 California National Guard troops to L.A. to quell the intense violence, despite opposition from Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom. "Looking really bad in L.A. BRING IN THE TROOPS!!!" Trump posted to his Truth Social platform in the early hours of Monday morning. This is a developing story. Updates to follow.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Glendale terminates ‘divisive' detainee holding contract with ICE
Glendale officials announced on Sunday night that the city has terminated its contract with U.S. Homeland Security and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to house immigration detainees, calling the public's perception of the agreement 'divisive.' 'This is a local decision and was not made lightly,' the city stated in a release. The city announced it will no longer house federal immigration detainees at the Glendale Police Department facility after a day of violent protests in Los Angeles over recent ICE raids and the federalization and deployment of the National Guard. 'By offering local access, detainees were given due-process proximity that is too often lacking in more remote or privately-operated detention centers,' the release added. 'Nevertheless, despite the transparency and safeguards the City has upheld, the City recognizes that public perception of the ICE contract—no matter how limited or carefully managed, no matter the good—has become divisive. And while opinions on this issue may vary — the decision to terminate this contract is not politically driven. It is rooted in what this City stands for—public safety, local accountability, and trust.' Waymos lit on fire, KTLA van defaced as Los Angeles protests spin out of control City officials went on to say that, similar to other local police departments in L.A. areas, their officers do not enforce immigration law. However, the city noted that police will continue to ensure that the city's residents and businesses do not 'suffer the consequences of the unruly and unlawful behavior of others. Moving forward, the facility will continue to serve local law enforcement needs without participation in federal detention efforts.' 'Glendale is consistently ranked as one of the safest cities in the nation. That is no accident. The Glendale Police Department is trusted and supported by the residents and businesses,' continued the statement. 'At this time, it is in our best interest to not allow that trust to be undermined.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
San Francisco Chronicle
an hour ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Trump's new travel ban takes effect as tensions escalate over immigration enforcement
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump's new ban on travel to the U.S. by citizens from 12 mainly African and Middle Eastern countries took effect Monday amid rising tension over the president's escalating campaign of immigration enforcement. The new proclamation, which Trump signed last week, applies to citizens of Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen. It also imposes heightened restrictions on people from Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela who are outside the U.S. and don't hold a valid visa. The new ban does not revoke visas previously issued to people from countries on the list, according to guidance issued Friday to all U.S. diplomatic missions. However, unless an applicant meets narrow criteria for an exemption to the ban, his or her application will be rejected starting Monday. Travelers with previously issued visas should still be able to enter the U.S. even after the ban takes effect. While many of the listed countries send few people to the United States, Haiti, Cuba and Venezuela had been major sources of immigration in recent years. Haitian-American Elvanise Louis-Juste, who was at the airport Sunday in Newark, New Jersey, awaiting a flight to her home state of Florida, said many Haitians wanting to come to the U.S. are simply seeking to escape violence and unrest. Haitians continue to flee poverty and hunger while police and a U.N.-backed mission fight a surge in gang violence, with armed men controlling at least 85% of its capital, Port-au-Prince. 'I have family in Haiti, so it's pretty upsetting to see and hear,' Louis-Juste, 23, said of the travel ban. 'I don't think it's a good thing. I think it's very upsetting.' Many immigration experts say the new ban is designed to beat court challenges by focusing on the visa application process and appears more carefully crafted than a hastily written executive order during Trump's first term that denied entry to citizens of mainly Muslim countries. Trump said this time that some countries had 'deficient' screening for passports and other public documents or have historically refused to take back their own citizens. He relied extensively on an annual Homeland Security report of people who remain in the U.S. after their visas expired. Measuring overstay rates has challenged experts for decades, but the government has made a limited attempt annually since 2016. Trump's proclamation cites overstay rates for eight of the 12 banned countries. Trump also tied the new ban to a terrorist attack in Boulder, Colorado, saying it underscored the dangers posed by some visitors who overstay visas. U.S. officials say the man charged in the attack overstayed a tourist visa. He is from Egypt, a country that is not on Trump's restricted list. The ban was quickly denounced by groups that provide aid and resettlement help to refugees. 'This policy is not about national security — it is about sowing division and vilifying communities that are seeking safety and opportunity in the United States,' said Abby Maxman, president of Oxfam America, a nonprofit international relief organization. The inclusion of Afghanistan angered some supporters who have worked to resettle its people. The ban does make exceptions for Afghans on Special Immigrant Visas, generally people who worked most closely with the U.S. government during the two-decade-long war there. Afghanistan had been one of the largest sources of resettled refugees, with about 14,000 arrivals in a 12-month period through September 2024. Trump suspended refugee resettlement his first day in office.
