US ends temporary protected status for Afghans and Cameroonians

Protections set to expire

The Trump administration is ending temporary protected status for nationals of Afghanistan and Cameroon, a move that will strip deportation protection from thousands of people already living in the United States.

According to the BBC report, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem concluded that conditions in both countries no longer met the legal threshold for TPS. The change affects an estimated 14,600 Afghans and about 7,900 Cameroonians, with protections due to end in May and June respectively.

TPS is a humanitarian immigration status granted when conditions such as armed conflict or environmental disaster make return unsafe. It typically lasts 18 months and can be renewed by the homeland security secretary. Losing it means recipients can lose work permits and become vulnerable to removal unless they qualify for another legal status.

The decision comes amid a broader hardening of US immigration policy. The BBC report says the administration has already moved to revoke temporary status for more than half a million migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela, and has pressed ahead with deportation-related actions involving students and activists.

The human impact is visible in the account of a woman identified as Shukriah, who fled Afghanistan with her family and later received an email telling her to leave the United States. She told the BBC that fear of deportation had badly affected her mental and physical health and that she did not know what steps to take next while an asylum case remained pending.

The timing adds to the pressure on Afghan families. The report said the government had also warned some migrants under parole programs that their protections were expiring. For many households, that means a scramble to understand which status remains valid, whether any extension is possible and how to avoid sudden enforcement.

The policy decision also has political resonance. Immigration and mass deportation were central to Trump’s campaign, and the White House has continued to push a broad crackdown. The BBC report says the administration has argued it is simply applying the law, while critics say it is narrowing legal pathways in a way that will leave vulnerable people exposed.

For the affected communities, the announcement is not an abstract policy shift. It is a countdown clock toward the loss of work, stability and, for many, the ability to stay with their families in safety. The legal consequences will unfold over the coming months, but the direction of travel is already clear.