The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced on Wednesday that it is designating Afghanistan for Temporary Protected Status (TPS), a welcome move that will shield tens of thousands of Afghans evacuated as part of Operation Allies Rescue, as well as other vulnerable Afghans already in the U.S.
“This TPS designation will help to protect Afghan nationals who have already been living in the United States from returning to unsafe conditions,” DHS Sec. Alejandro Mayorkas said. He added the designation will provide “additional protections and assurances” to Afghans who were quickly evacuated to the U.S. beginning last summer.
"We commend the Biden administration for its designation of Temporary Protected Status for Afghans in the United States,” Afghan American Foundation Board Member Joseph Azam said in a Temporary Protected Status Deferred Enforced Departure Administrative Advocacy Coalition (TPS-DED AAC) statement received by Daily Kos. Azam called the designation, which confers 18-month deportation relief and work permits to eligible applicants who have already been residing here since March 15, “critical progress toward meeting America’s promise to these Afghans.”
“However, it is only the first step,” Azam continued. “President Biden must now use his bully pulpit to highlight the urgent need for Congress to act on permanent and comprehensive protection for America’s Afghan allies and friends through the passage of the Afghan Adjustment Act.”
While the Biden administration was able to quickly evacuate tens of thousands of Afghans through humanitarian parole, it offers no pathway to permanent relief. So while many Afghans were removed from immediate danger, it means they’d still be at risk of being returned to it at a later time. Affected individuals and their advocates have been steadily urging lawmakers to pass the Afghan Adjustment Act, a call they continued on Wednesday.
“While TPS for Afghanistan is an important protection tool, it does not address the legal limbo faced by tens of thousands of Afghans evacuated to the U.S. on humanitarian parole,” said Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service President Krish O’Mara Vignarajah. “Our nation’s moral obligation to our Afghan allies and friends demands the stability that only a pathway to permanent residence can provide. It is imperative that Congress deliver lasting safety by passing the Afghan Adjustment Act.” Click here to send a message in support of this important legislation.
O’Mara Vignarajah and other advocates urged TPS designations for other regions also facing conditions that make it too dangerous for their nationals to safely return.
“We encourage additional TPS designations for nations that have long been reeling from armed conflict and environmental disaster, such as Cameroon, Ethiopia, and Mauritania, among others,” she continued. “In addition to saving lives, subsequent TPS designations—particularly for Black-majority nations—would represent a meaningful step towards racial equity in our immigration system.” Cameroon Advocacy Network said, “It is past due for Cameroonians fleeing war, civil unrest, and humanitarian crisis. They too deserve to be granted TPS status in the U.S.”
TPS-DED AAC said that Afghanistan’s designation “comes after continuous advocacy and education—over 100 organizations signed on in support of this designation last year.” The federal government has discretion under U.S. law to make such designations and has done so a number of times this month alone.
“In addition to safeguarding Afghans in the United States, TPS sends an important message to the world that granting humanitarian protection to vulnerable people is the correct, moral, and humane response to conflict and disaster,” CLINIC Advocacy Director Lisa Parisio said. “The administration can and should use this readily-available tool more broadly, for all people in the U.S. in need of protection, including immediate TPS designations for Ethiopia, Cameroon, and Mauritania.”
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