By Hanifa Girowal, Founder & CEO, Equitas Impact
By Ambassador Melanne Verveer, Director, Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security, Georgetown University
By Kimberly Hart, Director of Policy and Programs, Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace, and Security, Georgetown University
Remembering Kabul's Fall
Trump Revokes Protected Status for Afghan Immigrants, Leaving Them Vulnerable
We'll never forget the dreadful day Kabul fell. Countless Afghans, who had worked in alliance with Americans in the military, diplomatic, and development missions, knew danger loomed under the brutal Taliban regime, seeing them as traitors and enemies. These Afghan partners of the U.S. were aware that remaining behind meant certain death.
Thousands fled to the airport, fear gripping their hearts. To their astonishment, amid the chaos, a remarkable coalition of individuals and groups were working around the clock to get Afghans to safety. Our organization, Georgetown University's Institute for Women, Peace, and Security, was among those who helped to evacuate women who were at risk due to their efforts to advance women's rights.
These Afghans sacrificed everything: their belongings, their homes, and their loved ones. They left because staying meant certain death. That is why over 8,200 Afghans were granted temporary protected status (TPS) in the U.S. in the first place. TPS is a humanitarian immigration status that the U.S. government provides to people who are coming from countries where life has become too dangerous or impossible to return due to war or other extraordinary crises. TPS was granted to Afghans because the U.S. acknowledged the dire situation that had arisen in Afghanistan under Taliban control and the peril faced by those with ties to the U.S. and democratic values. These Afghans stood with America, and America stood by them in their hour of need.
That is, until now.
The Trump Betrayal
In April, news broke that the Trump administration planned to end the TPS designation for Afghanistan. On May 12, the Department of Homeland Security officially announced that the program would expire on May 20, with TPS for Afghans living in the U.S. set to terminate on July 14. This decision could lead to the deportation of Afghans currently residing in the country. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem justified the action by stating, "Afghanistan has improved security, and its stabilizing economy no longer prevents them from returning to their homeland."
Facts Don't Support the Statement
The truth is far from this justification.
The U.S. State Department still regards travel to Afghanistan as too dangerous: "Do not travel due to armed conflict, civil unrest, terrorism, kidnapping, and war. Travel to all areas of Afghanistan is unsafe."[1] Terrorist organizations continue to pose a threat in Afghanistan, including the Islamic State-Khorasan Province (ISIS-K) and al-Qaeda.[2]
In addition to the killings and disappearances happening with alarming frequency, the Taliban has implemented dozens of edicts under the guise of a "morality law." These edicts restrict women from attending school, prohibit them from working in public, and silence their voices even when reciting the Quran.[1] The Taliban's brutal rule has made Afghanistan the world's worst place for women and girls. The situation is so dire that in a landmark decision on October 4, 2024, the Court of Justice of the European Union ruled that Afghans women are presumed to face persecution under the Taliban regime based solely on their gender and nationality, making them eligible for refugee status without the need for individual assessments.[3]
National Interest and Fraud Concerns are Cited
Noem also mentions Afghanistan's "stabilizing economy" as a reason for ending TPS. However, the situation in Afghanistan is so dire that it continues to be considered one of the largest humanitarian crises in the world, with nearly two-thirds of the population requiring assistance to survive.[4] Approximately 3 million people are on the brink of famine,[4] and about 1.84 million Afghans lack access to critical medical care.[5]
Furthermore, critics argue that the termination of TPS is based on disingenuous justifications and ignores the ongoing humanitarian and conflict-related challenges faced by Afghans. If terminated, thousands of Afghan allies will be left in a precarious position, with some unable to qualify for other forms of legal protection, such as special immigrant visas (SIVs) or asylum status, and others potentially being deported before they can complete the lengthy and complex legal process of obtaining more permanent protection.[5][6]
Deporting allies is not only an unjustified bureaucratic decision; it is a betrayal. It should be reversed, and TPS should be extended, before more Afghans suffer and die at the hands of the Taliban.
Originally published by Just Security, May 29, 2025, under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivatives-NonCommercial License.
[1] U.S. Department of State, Afghanistan Travel Advisory (May 24, 2024). Retrieved from https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/advisories/2024/05/24/afghanistan-travel-advisory.html
[2] U.S. Department of State, Afghanistan - 2023 Country Report on Terrorism (December 24, 2024). Retrieved from https://2024-2025.state.gov/reports/congressional-reports/afghanistan-country-report-on-terrorism-2023/
[3] Court of Justice of the European Union, Judgment in Joined Cases C-408/20 and C-454/20 (October 4, 2024). Retrieved from https://curia.europa.eu/juris/celex.jsf?celex=62020CJ0408& linguista=en&mode=req&dir=&doclang=EN&coi=EN
[4] United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, Afghanistan Humanitarian Needs Overview (May 2024). Retrieved from https://www.unocha.org/sites/dms/Media/Documents/HNOs/2024/ENG/Afghanistan HNO 2024.pdf
[5] Human Rights Watch, World Report 2025: Afghanistan (January 2025). Retrieved from https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2025/country-chapters/afghanistan
[6] Migration Policy Institute, Temporary Protected Status (TPS): Fact Sheets and Analysis for All Current Countries of Designation (January 15, 2025). Retrieved from https://www.migrationpolicy.org/issue/temporary-protected-status-tps-fact-sheets-analysis-all-current-countries-designation
- Despite numerous challenges persisting in Afghanistan, including ongoing violence, terrorism, and widely reported humanitarian crises, the termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Afghan migrants by the Department of Homeland Security on July 14, 2025, may lead to the deportation of thousands who stood with America during war and conflicts, raising concerns about politics and policy-and-legislation that seemingly disregard general-news realities and humanitarian needs.
- In the span of mere days after Kabul's fall, war-and-conflicts had taken a heavy toll on countless Afghans who had been allies of the U.S., causing them to migrate for safety. These Afghans had been granted TPS for shelter in the U.S., but now face potential expulsion, this time not from the hands of the Taliban regime, but from American policy-and-legislation, a development that has stirred concerns in the realm of politics and general-news.
