Mitra Naseh, an assistant professor at the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis, has written an article in聽聽on the growing uncertainty facing thousands of Afghan nationals in the United States after the termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for the group.
Temporary Protected Status, or TPS, is a humanitarian protection that allows individuals from specific countries, where returning would pose a risk to their safety, to remain in the United States for a specified period. It provides work authorization and protection from deportation during this time. Afghans became eligible in 2022 after the Taliban returned to power in late 2021.
In May, Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem聽聽the end of TPS for Afghans, citing improved conditions in Afghanistan. A聽federal appeals court upheld the decision in July.
鈥淎s a聽, I believe the cancellation of TPS for these Afghans won鈥檛 lead to voluntary repatriation, as the fear of persecution by the Taliban remains a serious concern for many,鈥� Naseh wrote in the article. 鈥淚nstead, it will likely force thousands of people into unlawful residency in the U.S. That, in turn, would not only leave thousands at risk of deportation but limit their employment opportunities in the U.S. and keep them from financially supporting the families they left behind in Afghanistan.鈥�
Naseh is the founding director of the at the Brown School. Her research focuses on the multidimensional social and economic integration of forcibly displaced populations. Her work is informed by her interdisciplinary academic training, personal experience as an immigrant, and extensive fieldwork with non-governmental organizations and United Nations agencies, particularly in the Middle East and South Asia.聽
Read Naseh鈥檚 full article on聽.