Latest news with #Cameroonians
Euronews
21 hours ago
- Politics
- Euronews
Trump administration can end deportation protections for Afghans
Thousands of Afghans in the US face the risk of deportation after a federal appeals court refused to postpone the Trump administration's decision to remove their legal protection. The government in April said it would end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) — which grants migrants whose home nations are considered unsafe protection from deportation and work permits for a limited period — for people from Afghanistan and Cameroon. The administration had planned to stop the TPS for Afghans last week, while the programme is due to end for Cameroonians on 4 August. The decision is expected to affect an estimated 11,700 Afghans and 5,200 Cameroonians, government data shows. CASA, a non-profit immigrant advocacy group, sued the administration over the TPS revocation for citizens from those two countries. It said the decisions were racially motivated and failed to follow a process laid out by Congress. The Fourth US Circuit Court of Appeals in Virginia said in a ruling late on Monday that CASA has a plausible case against the government and directed a lower court to "move expeditiously" to hear the lawsuit. However, the appeals court said there was "insufficient evidence to warrant the extraordinary remedy of a postponement" of the Trump administration's decision not to extend TPS for people from Afghanistan and Cameroon. In other words, the protections have ended while the lawsuit plays out. The appeals court also said many of the TPS holders from the two countries may be eligible for other legal protections that remain available to them. 'Dire' conditions in Afghanistan However, without an extension, TPS holders from Afghanistan and Cameroon face a 'devastating choice", CASA had warned in court documents. "Abandon their homes, relinquish their employment, and uproot their lives to return to a country where they face the threat of severe physical harm or even death, or remain in the United States in a state of legal uncertainty while they wait for other immigration processes to play out," the non-profit had said. TPS is precarious because it is up to the Homeland Security secretary to renew the protections regularly — usually every 18 months. The Trump administration has pushed to remove TPS from people from seven countries, with hundreds of thousands of migrants from Venezuela and Haiti affected the most. Homeland Security officials said in their decision to end TPS for Afghans that the situation in their home country was getting better. Several NGOs disagree with that. "Ending TPS does not align with the reality of circumstances on the ground in Afghanistan," Global Refuge President and CEO Krish O'Mara Vignarajah said in a statement. "Conditions remain dire, especially for allies who supported the US mission, as well as women, girls, religious minorities, and ethnic groups targeted by the Taliban."
The Hill
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Hill
Court allows Trump administration to end deportation protections for Afghans, Cameroonians
An appeals court on Monday cleared the way for the Trump administration to end protections from deportation for Afghans and Cameroonians, declining to bar removals amid a review of the move's legality. The decision will impact more than 10,000 citizens of both countries who remain in the U.S. under Temporary Protected Status (TPS), which bars deportation of those who cannot safely return to their country due to civil unrest or a natural disaster. While a lower court had agreed to bar deportations for another week, the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals declined to continue to bar them while the legal battle continued. 'There is insufficient evidence to warrant the extraordinary remedy of a postponement of agency action pending appeal,' they court wrote. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem ended TPS for both countries, with protections for Afghans designed to end last week and protection for Cameroonians set to expire August 4. In doing so, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) reversed findings of the Biden administration that each country was too dangerous for its citizens to be returned. Some 9,600 Afghans and nearly 3,500 Cameroonians have TPS, according to The National Immigration Forum. Those impacted will have to apply for asylum or protections under the Convention Against Torture in order to remain in the country. Afghanistan remains under Taliban rule and deteriorating conditions in the country have accelerated since the U.S. withdrawal in 2021, including widespread food insecurity. Many of the roughly 80,000 Afghans who came to the U.S. after the fall of Kabul have adjusted their status, either securing asylum or a special immigrant visa given to those who assisted U.S. military efforts there. 'Thousands of Afghans who served alongside U.S. forces are now at risk of detention and deportation,' Shawn VanDiver, president of #AfghanEvac, said in a statement. 'These are our allies, neighbors, coworkers—people who believed in the promises this country made.' The Biden administration had also cited armed conflict in Cameroon as a rationale for keeping protections there. 'Since 2014, ongoing armed conflict between the Government of Cameroon and nonstate armed groups in the Far North Region, specifically Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), has resulted in killings, kidnappings, displacement, and destruction of civilian infrastructure,' the Biden administration wrote in the 2023 re-designation.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump administration can lift deportation protections for Afghanistan and Cameroon
An appellate court has allowed the Trump administration to end a program that grants temporary deportation protections and work permits to more than 10,000 people from Afghanistan and Cameroon. In a brief order Monday, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit wrote that the plaintiff — an immigration advocacy group called CASA — has a plausible case against the administration for choosing to end temporary protected status, or TPS, for Afghans and Cameroonians. But the court said "there is insufficient evidence to warrant the extraordinary remedy" of blocking the government from phasing out TPS while the lawsuit works its way through the courts. One week ago, the appeals court temporarily blocked the Trump administration from ending TPS for Afghanistan for one week, while it considered the merits of CASA's case. The administration had planned to end the program for Afghans last week. The program is set to end for Cameroonians in two weeks, on Aug. 4. The appellate court on Monday directed a lower court to "move expeditiously" to hear the case. Around 11,700 Afghans and 5,200 Cameroonians are enrolled in TPS, the government estimates. But roughly 3,600 of the Afghans and 200 of the Cameroonians have green cards, so they will not be affected. Those who lose their TPS protections can apply for asylum or some other form of legal status, but otherwise, they will be at risk of deportation. AfghanEvac, a group that has helped relocate Afghans, said in a statement it is "deeply alarmed" by Monday's ruling. "Lives will be upended. Families will be separated. Allies will be detained, deported, or forced into hiding—while their legal rights remain unsettled," AfghanEvac President Shawn VanDiver said in a statement Monday night. CBS News has reached out to the White House, the Department of Homeland Security and CASA for comment. The Trump administration has sought for months to roll back TPS, a program that allows the government to grant relief from deportation and work permits for people whose home countries are deemed unsafe due to natural disasters or war. The government argues that the TPS program is intended to be temporary, and Cameroon and Afghanistan are now safe enough for TPS recipients to return. Earlier this year, the Trump administration said Afghanistan's security situation and economy have improved despite the Taliban's 2021 takeover of the country following the U.S. military's withdrawal. And the government said a pair of armed conflicts in Cameroon — including a separatist conflict and an insurgency by the extremist group Boko Haram, which the U.S. designated a foreign terrorist organization in 2013 — are "contained in limited regions" and don't imperil people's personal safety in most of the country. "This administration is returning TPS to its original temporary intent," Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem said in a May statement announcing the Afghanistan decision. The State Department has placed a "Do Not Travel" advisory on Afghanistan, warning of the risk of "civil unrest, crime, terrorism, risk of wrongful detention, kidnapping, and limited health facilities." The department advises travelers to Cameroon to exercise caution, and not to travel to certain parts of the country due to armed violence, crime and terrorism. CASA has argued in court papers that both countries are unsafe, and TPS recipients could be endangered if they're forced to return to their home countries. The group says the conflict in Cameroon — which involves English-speaking separatists in a mostly French-speaking country — has created a humanitarian crisis and wrecked the African country's economy. And people from Afghanistan, the group notes, were made eligible for TPS because of repression by the Taliban and conflict between the group and ISIS-K insurgents. CASA also argues the administration hasn't followed the correct legal processes to end TPS, and contends the decision was "preordained" and based partly on "racial animus." "That animus is evidenced by the Trump Administration's efforts to eliminate lawful immigration status for noncitizens from countries the Administration believes are predominantly non-white, while simultaneously removing immigration barriers to noncitizens from countries the Administration believes are predominately white," the group said. Earlier this month, a lower court judge denied DHS's request to dismiss CASA's lawsuit, but also denied CASA's motion to halt the administration's policy. CASA appealed, causing it to reach the 4th Circuit. The Trump administration has sought to wind down TPS for hundreds of thousands of other migrants from Honduras, Nicaragua, Venezuela and Haiti. In May, the Supreme Court allowed the Trump administration to end TPS for Venezuelan migrants. What shocked "Matlock" star Kathy Bates? A new you: The science of redesigning your personality "Somebody Somewhere" star Bridget Everett
Newsweek
2 days ago
- Politics
- Newsweek
Trump Removes Migrant Protections for Two Countries: What to Know
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 will be able to proceed with his order to remove Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Afghans and Cameroonians, a federal court has ruled. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit on Monday lifted an order that had prevented the administration from terminating protections for these groups. This comes after months of legal challenges led by immigrant advocacy group CASA, which unsuccessfully sought to block the removal of TPS status while litigation continued. Newsweek has contacted the Department of Homeland Security, via email, for comment. President Donald Trump speaks in the East Room of the White House in Washington, D.C., on July 18, 2025. President Donald Trump speaks in the East Room of the White House in Washington, D.C., on July 18, 2025. AP Why It Matters The court decision allows the Trump administration to move forward with deporting TPS holders from Afghanistan and Cameroon, affecting around 14,600 Afghans and 7,900 Cameroonians, according to Reuters. While the government argues that conditions in these countries have improved, immigration advocates warn that deported migrants may face violence, persecution or death upon return, especially in Taliban-ruled Afghanistan. The change has raised alarms over the fate of thousands who fled as refugees, including many who cooperated with U.S. forces before and during the 2021 Taliban takeover. What To Know Temporary Protected Status provides work authorization and deportation protection for nationals of certain countries facing war or natural disaster. The Trump administration announced in April that it would end TPS for Afghans and Cameroonians, arguing that conditions no longer warranted continued protection, claiming improved security and economic conditions in both countries. "This administration is returning TPS to its original temporary intent," Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said in a statement at the time. "We've reviewed the conditions in Afghanistan with our interagency partners, and they do not meet the requirements for a TPS designation." However, the U.S. Department of State continues to warn U.S. citizens against travel to Afghanistan and Cameroon because of persistent instability and safety risks. The issuance of the court's ruling means the wind-down of TPS for Afghans and Cameroonians can move forward, although some affected migrants may seek asylum or other legal remedies to remain in the United States. CASA's legal challenge to the policy is still ongoing in lower courts. Who People Are Saying Jeff King, president of International Christian Concern, previously told Newsweek: "Afghanistan under Taliban rule is a uniquely hostile environment for believers. The Taliban's persecution is systematic. They hunt converts through phone surveillance, reward informants, and subject believers to execution, imprisonment or—for women—forced marriage and enslavement." Shawn VanDiver, president of the relocation network AfghanEvac, said after the court's decision was announced on Monday night: "Lives will be upended. Families will be separated. Allies will be detained, deported, or forced into hiding—while their legal rights remain unsettled" A White House spokesperson previously told Newsweek: "Any individual who fears persecution from the Taliban is able to apply for asylum to remain in the United States. Temporary Protected Status, by definition, is temporary and committed to the discretion of the DHS Secretary." What Happens Next While the Trump administration now has a judicial green light to terminate TPS for Afghans and Cameroonians, advocacy groups continue legal action in lower courts. Some TPS holders may apply for asylum, citing direct threats from the Taliban or other dangers. The Department of Homeland Security says those who lose TPS eligibility should consider self-deportation with assistance, but affected individuals have expressed fear for their safety if returned.
TimesLIVE
2 days ago
- Politics
- TimesLIVE
US court allows Trump administration to remove deportation protections for Cameroonians, Afghans
A federal judge on Monday lifted an order preventing the Trump administration from stripping temporary protected status (TPS) for thousands of Cameroonians and Afghans in the US. The Trump administration moved in April to end TPS for Afghans and Cameroonians in the US, saying conditions in Afghanistan and Cameroon no longer merited the protected status. The move affected an estimated 14,600 Afghans and 7,900 Cameroonians. Immigration advocacy organisation Casa filed a lawsuit against the department of homeland security and the US Court of Appeals for the fourth circuit granted an administrative stay on the termination until July 21. In Monday's ruling, the appeals panel agreed with a lower court that Casa has stated 'a plausible claim for relief with regard to the alleged 'preordained'' decision to terminate TPS. 'At this procedural posture, however, there is insufficient evidence to warrant the extraordinary remedy of a postponement of agency action pending appeal,' the panel wrote. The department of homeland security, which oversees the TPS programme, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
