Faith Nyasuguta
A U.S. appeals court has handed President Donald Trump a major legal victory by ruling that his administration can end temporary protected status (TPS) for thousands of immigrants from Cameroon and Afghanistan – a move that immigrant rights advocates say puts lives at risk and reveals discriminatory motives.
TPS allows migrants to live and work legally in the United States if their home countries face armed conflict, natural disasters, or other extraordinary conditions. For years, this program has offered sanctuary to people fleeing instability in Cameroon and war in Afghanistan. But the Trump Administration argued these nations are now safe enough for people to return home – a claim strongly disputed by advocacy groups and many migrants themselves.
According to government figures, about 11,700 Afghans and 5,200 Cameroonians currently benefit from TPS. However, an estimated 3,600 Afghans and 200 Cameroonians already hold green cards and will not be affected by the ruling. The rest could face deportation unless they qualify for asylum or other legal status – an option that is often difficult and uncertain.
Immigrant advocates reacted with outrage, pointing to continued violence in both countries. In Afghanistan, the Taliban remains in power while attacks on minorities and women’s rights abuses continue. In Cameroon, human rights organizations report persistent conflict in the Anglophone regions, where government forces clash with separatist fighters.
The Trump Administration has repeatedly targeted TPS programs. Over the past few months, protections for migrants from Honduras, Nicaragua, Venezuela and Haiti have also been cut back. Just last week, a flight arrived in Haiti carrying 95 deportees from Florida, fueling fears that more mass deportations could follow.
In June, Homeland Security terminated TPS for hundreds of thousands of Haitians. A month earlier, the Supreme Court allowed the end of TPS for Venezuelans, resulting in hundreds sent back to El Salvador, where some were detained in high-security prisons. In a controversial prisoner exchange, over 250 Venezuelans were deported home in return for the release of 10 Americans held by Venezuela’s government.
Immigration group CASA is suing to stop the administration’s move, calling it illegal and racially motivated. The lawsuit argues the policy unfairly targets immigrants from predominantly non-white nations while easing pathways for migrants from countries seen as white-majority.
For now, thousands of Cameroonians and Afghans face an uncertain future – their protection evaporating as political battles over America’s immigration system rage on.
RELATED:
