Department of Homeland Security ends formal protection for thousands of Afghan residents

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) -- On Monday, May 12, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that it is ending legal protections for Afghans who have been living in the U.S. with potential deportation in 2 months.

The decision to end the the Temporary Protection Status (TPS) for Afghans, will go into effect July 12, and according to DHS, almost 12,000 Afghans told TPS they already have their legal status.

TPS was initially created under the Biden administration, for Afghan refugees in March of 2022, due to the conditions in Afghanistan after Taliban rule.

According to AP, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said, that this decision came after improved conditions in Afghanistan which no longer warrant TPS, and also added that "It's is contrary to the national interest” of the country to allow Afghans to stay temporarily in the country.

Virginia ranks third nationwide in terms of top states receiving refugees from Afghanistan since October 2023, with over 850 refugees. Since October of 2023, the U.S. has received nearly 10,000 Afghan refugees.

Where refugees in Virginia are arriving from

For more information and resources, the University of Richmond School of Law has a page titled 'Supporting Afghan Refugees.'