Following a shift in the U.S. government’s approach toward Afghan migrants, the White House has announced that the status of Afghan asylum seekers has entered a new phase of judicial review.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed in a press briefing on Tuesday, April 22, that the temporary residency granted to Afghan migrants during President Joe Biden’s term is set to expire soon and will not be extended. She added that decisions regarding the fate of these individuals will be left to the courts, and each case will be reviewed individually.
Meanwhile, Donald Trump, the leading Republican candidate in the upcoming presidential election, has stated that if he returns to power, he will “organize and enforce” U.S. immigration policy. These remarks have heightened concerns among Afghan residents in the United States.
Earlier, Fox News had warned that deporting Afghan migrants—particularly Afghan Christians—would expose them to serious threats from the Taliban. In response, several American religious leaders have urged Trump to reconsider the expulsion of these individuals until a clear and humane solution is presented.
At the same time, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security has announced the cancellation of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for approximately 11,000 Afghan migrants. If their asylum applications are not accepted by the courts, they will face deportation.
These developments signal a significant shift in U.S. immigration policy—one that could place the lives of thousands of Afghans, particularly those who fled the Taliban regime, at grave risk. Without intervention from human rights and religious organizations, this policy change could quietly evolve into a humanitarian crisis hidden from mainstream media attention.
