The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) this week announced it would end the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) designation for Afghans on July 14.
DHS said the TPS designation will formally expire on May 20, 2025, but the termination will take effect on July 14, 2025. TPS for Afghanistan was extended in 2023 and was set to expire in May unless DHS granted another extension.
Approximately 8,000 Afghans were approved for TPS as of 2024, according to the Congressional Research Service.
What is TPS?
The Secretary of Homeland Security may designate a foreign country for TPS due to conditions in the country that temporarily prevent the country’s nationals from returning safely, or in certain circumstances, where the country is unable to handle the return of its nationals adequately. USCIS may grant TPS to eligible nationals of certain countries (or parts of countries), who are already in the United States. Eligible individuals without nationality who last resided in the designated country may also be granted TPS.
The Secretary may designate a country for TPS due to the following temporary conditions in the country:
- Ongoing armed conflict (such as civil war)
- An environmental disaster (such as earthquake or hurricane), or an epidemic
- Other extraordinary and temporary conditions
During a designated period, individuals who are TPS beneficiaries or who are found preliminarily eligible for TPS upon initial review of their cases (prima facie eligible):
- Are not removable from the United States
- Can obtain an employment authorization document (EAD)
- May be granted travel authorization
Current TPS Countries
The U.S. continues to provide TPS protection to some individuals from the following countries: Burma (Myanmar), Cameroon, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Honduras, Lebanon, Nepal, Nicaragua, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Ukraine, and Yemen.
