Trump Admin Ends Deportation Protections for Afghan Refugees as TPS Returns to Its Original Purpose

The Trump administration has taken another bold step to restore order to America’s broken immigration system by ending Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for tens of thousands of Afghan nationals living in the United States.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem made the announcement Monday, citing improved conditions in Afghanistan and reaffirming the administration’s commitment to returning TPS to its original, temporary purpose not a backdoor to permanent residency.

“We’ve reviewed the conditions in Afghanistan with our interagency partners, and they do not meet the requirements for a TPS designation,” Noem said. “Afghanistan has had an improved security situation, and its stabilizing economy no longer prevent them from returning to their home country.”

TPS was never meant to become a permanent fixture yet under Democrat leadership, it was weaponized to flood American communities with waves of unvetted foreign nationals, many of whom came during the disastrous 2021 Afghanistan withdrawal botched by Joe Biden.

Under Biden, more than 76,000 Afghans were flown into the U.S. almost overnight. Many were resettled in Texas, California, and Virginia, placing enormous pressure on local infrastructure and public services. Between 2010 and 2022, the Afghan population in the U.S. nearly quadrupled, from 54,000 to 195,000.

The Trump administration’s move gives Afghan TPS recipients 60 days to prepare for repatriation the minimum time required by law. While the left is already screaming about “humanitarian crises,” the numbers tell a different story:

• Afghanistan’s food insecurity, while still present, has decreased by over 5 million people in the last year, according to DHS analysis.

• Chinese tourists have returned, and ground-level violence has significantly decreased in certain provinces.

• Afghanistan’s economy has shown signs of stabilization, even under Taliban control.

Make no mistake this is about sovereignty, security, and sanity. America cannot be the world's dumping ground for every failed nation. If Afghanistan is “safe enough” for international travelers, it's safe enough for its own people to return.

And while the Biden administration handed out green cards like candy, often without proper vetting or accountability, President Trump is reestablishing the basic principle that temporary protection means just that temporary.

There are legitimate concerns about religious minorities in Afghanistan, and this administration has made it clear that case-by-case humanitarian reviews will still apply. But the era of blanket protections, mass resettlement, and open borders is over.

America's immigration system should serve Americans first and that’s exactly what this decision reflects.

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