Wyden, Colleagues Demand Answers from Trump Administration on Cancellation of Protected Status for Afghans Living in U.S.
Lawmakers: Administration decision could endanger thousands of Afghans, including many who supported U.S. efforts during the war in Afghanistan
Washington D.C.— U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., said today he has joined Senate and House colleagues in pressing for answers from the Trump administration about its decision to end Temporary Protected Status for Afghan nationals living in the United States.
The lawmakers note the devastating impact of this decision, including on the many Afghans who supported the U.S. military during the war in Afghanistan and who face significant danger upon their return.
“We write with deep concern about the Department of Homeland Security’s termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Afghanistan, which is scheduled to take effect on July 14, 2025,” the lawmakers wrote to Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. “This decision is devastating for resettled Afghan nationals in the United States who have fled widespread violence, economic instability, challenging humanitarian conditions, and human rights abuses in their home country.”
“Many of these Afghans fearlessly served as strong allies to the United States military during the war in Afghanistan, and we cannot blatantly disregard their service,” they wrote. “We respectfully ask that you redesignate Afghanistan for TPS to ensure Afghan nationals in the U.S. are not forced to return to devastating humanitarian, civic, and economic conditions,”
“The grave conditions that forced Afghan nationals to flee and seek refuge in the U.S. following the return of the Taliban to power remain,” they wrote. “Because of this harsh reality, forcing Afghan nationals in the U.S. to return to Afghanistan would be reckless and inhumane, and would threaten the safety and well-being of thousands of individuals and families, especially women and girls.”
The lawmakers close the letter urging the administration to reverse course and seeking the following information:
· Please provide any reports that credibly determine conditions have improved in Afghanistan since 2023.
· The TPS termination announcement stated “there are recipients who have been under investigation for fraud and threatening our public safety and national security.” Please provide additional details on how the Administration made this determination and how widespread these allegations of fraud and threats are.
· Describe the collaboration with the Department of Homeland Security and Department of State to reach the determination that Afghanistan no longer meets the conditions for designation for TPS.
· Please provide any reports that indicate the Taliban is no longer a threat to Afghan nationals that assisted the United States military during the war in Afghanistan.
· What steps are you taking to ensure Afghan nationals who previously had TPS will not be sent back to persecution or torture in Afghanistan?
The letter was led by Senators Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., and Congressman Glenn Ivey, D-Md. In addition to Wyden, the letter was signed by Senators Angela Alsobrooks, D-Md., Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., Cory Booker, D-N.J., Chris Coons, D-Del., Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., Dick Durbin, D-Ill., John Fetterman, D-Pa., Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, Tim Kaine, D-Va., Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., Andy Kim, D-N.J., Angus King, I-Maine, Edward J. Markey, D-Mass., Alex Padilla, D-Calif., Jack Reed, D-R.I., Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., Adam Schiff, D-Calif., Tina Smith, D-Minn., Mark Warner, D-Va., Rev. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., Peter Welch, D-Vt., and Representatives Gabe Amo, D-R.I., Yassamin Ansari, D-Ariz., Rebecca Balint, D-Vt., Wesley Bell, D-Mo., Don Beyer, D-Va., Nikki Budzinski, D-Ill., Salud Carbajal, D-Calif., Troy Carter, D-La., Sean Casten, D-Ill., Joaquin Castro, D-Texas, Judy Chu, D-Calif., Yvette Clarke, D-N.Y., Emanuel Cleaver, D-Mo., Joe Courtney, D-Conn., Madeleine Dean, D-Pa., Diana DeGette, D-Colo., Suzan DelBene, D-Wash., Sarah Elfreth, D-Md., Dwight Evans, D-Pa., Cleo Fields, D-Ga., Robert Garcia, D-Calif., Jesus García, D-Ill., Sylvia Garcia, D-Texas, Dan Goldman, D-N.Y., Jimmy Gomez, D-Calif., Vincente Gonzalez, D-Texas, Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., Jahana Hayes, D-Conn., Jonathan Jackson D-Ill., Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., Hank Johnson, D-Ga., Julie Johnson, D-Texas, Marcy Kaptur, D-Ohio, Bill Keating, D-Mass., Robin Kelly, D-Ill., Tim Kennedy, D-N.Y., Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Ill., Greg Landsman, D-Ohio, John Larson, D-Conn., George Latimer, D-N.Y., Mike Levin, D-Calif., Ted Lieu, D-Calif., Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif., Stephen Lynch, D-Mass., April McClain Delaney, D-Md., Jennifer McClellan, D-Va., Betty McCollum, D-Minn., Jim McGovern, D-Mass., Greg Meeks, D-N.Y., Kweisi Mfume, D-Md., Seth Moulton, D-Mass., Eleanor Holmes Norton, D-D.C., Johnny Olszewski, D-Md., Frank Pallone, D-N.J., Jimmy Panetta, D-Calif., Scott Peters, D-Calif., Jaime Raskin, D-Md., Linda Sánchez, D-Calif., Mary Gay Scanlon, D-Pa., Jan Schakowsky, D-Ill., Brad Sherman, D-Calif., Eric Sorensen, D-Ill., Suhas Subramanyam, D- Va., Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., Dina Titus, D-Nev., Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., Jill Tokuda, D-Hawaii, Paul Tonko, D-N.Y., Juan Vargas, D-Calif., Marc Veasey, D-Texas, and Bonnie Watson Coleman, D-N.J.
The full text of the letter is here.
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