In another huge victory for the Trump administration, an appellate court has ruled that the president can continue ending temporary deportation protections for Afghan and Cameroonian nationals.
The court’s decision paves the way for the Department of Homeland Security to rid thousands of Afghans and Cameroonians of Temporary Protected Status (TPS).
As Trending Politics pointed out, the court’s decision comes amid a challenge against the administration over its ending of TPS for foreign nationals.
The challenge will continue to be resolved in court.
The Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals stated that, although CASA, a pro-immigration advocacy organization, is suing DHS and has a plausible case, there is insufficient evidence to block the administration from ending TPS, according to Trending Politics.
“We agree with the district court that CASA, Inc. has stated a plausible claim for relief with regard to the alleged ‘preordained’ decision to terminate temporary protected status (TPS) for Afghanistan and Cameroon, and that the balance of the equities and the public interest weigh in favor of CASA, Inc.,” the court stated.
“At this procedural posture, however, there is insufficient evidence to warrant the extraordinary remedy of a postponement of agency action pending appeal,” the court’s added.
In 1990, TPS was established as part of the Immigration Act. It allows foreign nationals to evade deportation by providing them with protections, which include allowing them to work in the U.S.
Among those given TPS are illegal immigrants who fled countries experiencing conflict or natural disasters.
Illegal immigrants aren’t granted permanent legal residency under this authority. If their TPS expires and they don’t qualify for another legal status, they can be returned to their home country.
The Daily Caller reported that the ruling comes as the Trump administration moves to end TPS for Honduras and Nicaragua.
“This is another win for the American people and the safety of our communities,” DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told The Daily Caller. “TPS was never intended to be a de facto asylum program, yet it has been abused as one for decades.”
“DHS records indicate that there are Afghan nationals who are TPS recipients who have been the subject of administrative investigations for fraud, public safety, and national security,” McLaughlin continued. “This decision restores integrity in our immigration system and ensures that Temporary Protective Status is actually temporary.”
Around 9,600 Afghans and about 3,500 Cameroonians are currently covered by TPS. Afghan protections were set to expire in early July, and those for Cameroonians are expected to end in early August.
AfghanEvac, a nonprofit organization that claims it is working to help Afghans, rebuked the court’s ruling.
“We are deeply alarmed,” the organization said.
“This ruling does not vindicate the Trump administration’s decision. In fact, the court acknowledged serious allegations that the move was ‘preordained’ and politically motivated. The legal case remains ongoing. But in the meantime, the human cost of this decision will be devastating. Lives will be upended. Families will be separated. Allies will be detained, deported, or forced into hiding—while their legal rights remain unsettled. This is not a legal inevitability. It is a policy choice—and a cruel one,” it added.
