Opinion - Terminating Temporary Protected Status for Afghans is an abomination
For the 10,000 Afghan refugees who have made the U.S. home after fleeing a growing humanitarian crisis under Taliban rule, the future is no longer even temporarily secure. On May 12, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced it will terminate Afghanistan's designation for Temporary Protected Status, effective July 14, devastating not only its beneficiaries but also the communities that have embraced them.
This is personal to me. And it should be personal for anyone who believes in standing up to oppression and protecting those most at risk.
Created in 1990, Temporary Protected Status provides individuals from countries facing armed conflict, environmental disaster or other extraordinary conditions, with legal status and work authorization for renewable 18-month periods. Applicants undergo thorough background checks to be eligible for and maintain their status.
They are not admitted if they are felons, have several misdemeanors, or fail to meet the other requirements for the program, as outlined by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Temporary Protected Status has served as an incredibly effective legal pathway for refugees fleeing various large-scale conflicts to find safety while helping to strengthen American communities and our economy.
The Biden administration redesignated Afghanistan for Temporary Protected Status in the fall of 2023 for good reason. The Taliban's return had brought with it renewed political repression, severe economic collapse and destruction of fundamental rights, especially for women and girls. None of that has changed.
Yet now, DHS has announced protections will be stripped away in a few short weeks.
Moreover, the Trump administration's recent travel ban, which includes Afghanistan, adds further confusion, chaos, and contradiction to this decision. When lifting Afghanistan's Temporary Protected Status designation, the administration cited Afghanistan's security and economic improvements as a reason for doing so. However, when implementing the travel ban, the administration noted security issues and a lack of 'appropriate screening and vetting measures' as justification.
This is more than a policy misstep. It is a moral failure. President Trump, who rightfully criticized his predecessor for his chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan as 'the most embarrassing event in the history of our country,' is effectively sending families back into the grip of a Taliban regime sanctioned by his administration as Specially Designated Global Terrorists.
This issue hits me particularly close to home. Decades ago, I served in Iran through the Peace Corps and later as the press attaché at the embassy in Tehran, where I was held hostage for 444 days. Despite this trauma, I returned to the region after 9/11 to work on the Afghan Education Project, coordinated by Teachers College, Columbia University. For three years, I worked to modify the school curriculum to erase Taliban-imposed propaganda and foster a more open, free and democratic society.
During that time, I became close with my driver and occasional translator, Shamgul. Without him, the work could not have happened, and my own safety would have been at greater risk. He helped keep me and many others safe as we moved through Kabul and beyond. We considered each other family. After the Taliban regained power, I tried desperately to get officials in Washington to bring him and his two sons to America, but failed, and Shamgul was murdered by the Taliban for having worked with us.
Families that did make it to America are now being abandoned and told they must return to danger and perhaps a similar fate. This must not happen.
The program was created to prevent this scenario. It offers stability, safety and the chance to contribute. And it works. Afghan Temporary Protected Status holders contribute $296 million to the U.S. economy annually, and the program remains popular among voters. According to a joint poll by the SEIU and FWD.us, 66 percent of voters in battleground states support using the program as an effective legal pathway for protection from deportation and for work authorization.
The Trump administration's decision to remove Afghanistan's designation and subsequent travel ban is a betrayal of American values.
I have spent my life on the front lines of the U.S. mission to advance democracy, human rights, peace and security. I strongly encourage the current administration to live up to these ideals and protect innocent Afghans seeking refuge. The moral test of a nation is how it treats those with the least power. Right now, we are failing that test.
Barry Rosen is a veteran of the Peace Corps, survivor of the Iran Hostage Crisis and a co-founder of Hostage Aid Worldwide. He worked with UNICEF in Afghanistan from 2002 to 2005.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
7 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Pakistan to nominate Trump for Nobel prize
The government of Pakistan said Friday it would nominate President Trump for the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize while lauding his contributions to global peace. Last month, the Trump administration intervened in a brief conflict between India and Pakistan after the former struck the latter in what it described as retaliatory strikes, killing dozens. 'At a moment of heightened regional turbulence, President Trump demonstrated great strategic foresight and stellar statesmanship through robust diplomatic engagement with both Islamabad and New Delhi which de-escalated a rapidly deteriorating situation, ultimately securing a ceasefire and averting a broader conflict between the two nuclear states that would have had catastrophic consequences for millions of people in the region and beyond,' the government of Pakistan wrote in a Friday statement on the social media platform X. After Pakistan announced the nomination, Trump shared a grim outlook on his chances of obtaining recognition from an international award for conflict intervention hours after securing a treaty between Rwanda and the Congo. 'No, I won't get a Nobel Peace Prize no matter what I do, including Russia/Ukraine, and Israel/Iran, whatever those outcomes may be, but the people know, and that's all that matters to me!' Trump wrote in a Friday Truth Social post. Former President Obama is the last sitting president to receive a Nobel Peace Prize for international diplomacy in 2009, eight months into his first term. Pakistan now hopes to help Trump receive the same honor. 'President Trump's leadership during the 2025 Pakistan India crisis manifestly showcases the continuation of his legacy of pragmatic diplomacy and effective peace-building,' the government wrote. 'Pakistan remains hopeful that his earnest efforts will continue to contribute towards regional and global stability, particularly in the context of ongoing crises in the Middle East, including the humanitarian tragedy unfolding in Gaza and the deteriorating escalation involving Iran,' they added. The White House did not immediately respond to The Hill's request for comment on the matter In May, missiles from India killed 31 people and injured 57 in Pakistan-administered Kashmir and the country's Punjab province, according to the Pakistani military. Amid the turmoil, Trump told foreign partners, 'If I can do anything to help, I will be there,' while Vice President Vance said the conflict was 'none of our business' as threats of war between the two nuclear powers crescendoed. Days later, Trump announced that India and Pakistan agreed to a 'full and immediate' ceasefire with the help of U.S. mediation. Pakistan's government said his efforts were a sign of the leader's commitment to stability and peace. 'This intervention stands as a testament to his role as a genuine peacemaker and his commitment to conflict resolution through dialogue,' the government wrote on social media. . Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
7 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Greenland celebrates its National Day to mark the summer solstice
NUUK, Greenland (AP) — Greenlanders celebrated National Day, the Arctic island's biggest summer festival, on Saturday to mark the solstice with songs, cannon salutes and dances under 24 hours of sunlight. Revelers across the semi-autonomous Danish territory, which is also coveted by U.S. President Donald Trump, honored the longest day of the year north of the equator, where the solstice marks the start of astronomical summer, with a march through their hometowns waving flags and participating in a seal hunting competition. The national holiday was declared in 1985, following a referendum on home rule six years earlier, with the inaugural raising of the red-and-white Greenlandic flag. As the sun came out, locals gathered for the day of festivities, visiting friends and families, eating and dancing together. Greenland's roughly 56,000 inhabitants look forward to the midnight sun each year from May 25 to July 25, before the long, dark winter reappears. The strategic, mineral-rich island has made headlines after Trump declared it his mission to make it part of the U.S., saying it's crucial for American security in the high north. Trump has not ruled out military force to seize Greenland despite strong rebukes from Denmark, a NATO ally, and Greenland itself. Danish and Greenlandic leaders say the island is not for sale and have condemned reports of the U.S. stepping up intelligence gathering there. On Saturday, Greenlanders tried to leave politics behind to enjoy the seemingly endless summer sunshine. Locals in traditional clothing made of pearl collars and seal hides started the day by marching toward the Colonial Harbour with Greenland's national flags. Johannes Ostermann, 20, said he loved the holiday because 'you get to go out in the city and you get to meet the people you haven't met in a while, and you know they're going to be there because it's a big day for Greenland and we enjoy each other's company.' 'Everyone says congratulations to each other, everyone's saying hi, everyone's being very very nice because it is a very nice day for us all,' he added. At 9 a.m., a cannon salute marked the beginning of the annual seal hunting competition, with participants in boats rushing into the sea. It took about an hour for the first hunter to come back with the seal. The animal was cut open for an inspection. The organizer said the meat will be distributed to nursing homes, and all other parts will be used to make clothing. Pilo Samuelsen, one of the winners of the competition, enjoyed his victory and the fact that the holiday brings together the community and keeps their culture alive. 'The seal hunt competition is a nice tradition,' Samuelsen said. 'It's a day of unity and the celebration." Sofie Abelsen, 33, said she hoped her people would continue their celebrations because 'modernization and globalization is a danger to all Indigenous people and Indigenous countries.' 'So I hope they will continue the traditions ... so they don't disappear,' she added.
USA Today
11 minutes ago
- USA Today
Activist Mahmoud Khalil speaks out after release from ICE custody
NEWARK, NJ − Mahmoud Khalil emerged though the airport gate, fist raised and smiling to a cheering crowd, as he pushed his newborn baby's stroller with his arm around his wife. Arriving at Newark International Airport the afternoon of June 21, a day after a federal judge ordered his release from immigration detention, the 30-year-old Columbia University graduate and Palestinian activist vowed to keep up his advocacy. Standing with his family and Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-New York, he declared he wouldn't be deterred. 'Your words of support, your messages, have kept me going,' Khalil said in brief remarks. 'Still, the fight is far from over.' He planned to continue speaking out against what he called a genocide in Gaza, and American support, including from Columbia, for Israel's siege of the Palestinian territory after the 2023 Hamas-led attacks in southern Israel. Israel has denied this accusation, though some human rights observers have reached this conclusion. At the airport, Khalil approached the crowd to take a Palestinian flag from a friend, then draped it over the stroller of his son Deen, who was born 2 months ago, while Khalil was detained in Jena, Louisiana. Asked if he had a message for the Trump administration, Khalil said, 'My existence is the message. Palestinian existence is a message.' A day earlier, a federal district judge in New Jersey ordered Khalil's release after over three months in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody following his advocacy at the Ivy League campus. The order marked a blow to the Trump administration's crackdown on pro-Palestinian student protests. Ocasio-Cortez said Khalil's detention by the Trump administration was solely political. "It is an affront to every American," she said. "We will continue to resist the politicization and the continued political persecution that ICE is engaged in. We welcome Mahmoud home." Why was Khalil in ICE detention? Khalil, a lawful permanent resident born in a Syrian refugee camp, was a student negotiator and spokesperson for pro-Palestinian demonstrators in spring 2024. Students called on Columbia to divest from its investments in Israel that helped propel war efforts. Israel's siege of Gaza has killed 55,700 Palestinian people, mostly women and children, according to Gaza's health ministry. The mounting death toll came after Hamas-led attacks in Israel that killed 1,200 people and took 251 others hostage, Israeli tallies show. Critics, including university administrators, accused the protesters of creating an unwelcoming environment for Jewish students. Organizers have denied accusations of antisemitism, and Khalil spoke out against antisemitism on CNN. Columbia's encampment demonstrations triggered similar protests on college campuses across the country. On March 8, federal agents detained Khalil, without a warrant, at his university-owned apartment building lobby in Manhattan. His wife Noor Abdalla, who is born in the United States and was 8 months' pregnant then, was by his side as they returned from dinner with friends. In recorded cell phone video, Abdalla repeatedly asked agents why he was being taken and what agency they represented. They gave her no responses before taking Khalil, who appeared calm in footage. His detention triggered waves of protests in New York City calling for his release. Eventually, Khalil arrived to a Louisiana ICE detention center, where he'd stay for over 3 months. During that time, his son was born and other international students were detained in the Trump administration's sweeping crackdown on immigration. Khalil's case was the first of several high-profile incidents in which pro-Palestinian student activists were detained by immigration authorities and targeted for deportation. Secretary of State Marco Rubio alleged Khalil participated in "antisemitic protests and disruptive activities" that "undermine U.S. efforts to combat anti-Semitism." Rubio cited an obscure provision of the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952 to revoke Khalil's green card on the basis that he threatened American foreign policy interests. What did the judge rule in Khalil's case? Federal district Judge Michael Farbiarz of New Jersey ruled June 11 that Rubio had no authority to detain or deport Khalil on foreign policy grounds. Farbiarz said the government's other argument, that Khalil 'fraudulently or willfully' misrepresented material facts on his application for permanent residency, could still be used to detain him. On June 20, Farbiarz called Khalil's months-long detention in a Louisiana detention center potentially punitive. "Extraordinary circumstances" warranted Khalil's release, Farbiarz said. Among those were findings that Khalil − who has no criminal record nor has been charged with any crimes − didn't pose a flight risk or a danger to others in the community. Farbiarz, an appointee of former President Joe Biden, also raised concerns about the chilling effect his detention had on free speech, and the ability of an immigration judge to take on such issues. Justice Department lawyers didn't object to evidence presented. They also didn't present proof alleging Khalil committed violence, property destruction or incitement to violence, Farbiarz added. After the ruling, the Trump administration disputed Farbiarz's order, arguing he had no authority in immigration removal proceedings. Meanwhile, administration officials said Khalil was twice removable on foreign policy grounds − namely over accusations of antisemitism and support for the Hamas militant group, and that he misrepresented information to obtain legal status. While Farbiarz has ruled out the foreign policy argument, the court is considering information he submitted to immigration officials. Khalil's lawyers have called the administration's allegations "meritless." Khalil has a pending lawsuit in New Jersey federal court against the Trump administration. Khalil's lawyers say the Trump administration violated his constitutional rights around free speech and due process. A day after his arrival to Newark, demonstrators planned to rally in New York City in support of Khalil. Columbia didn't respond to an email request for comment. Smiling alongside his wife and son, who he'd only seen once during his detention, he looked at the crowd and vowed to continue demonstrating. "This is why I will continue to protest with every one of you," Khalil said. "Not (even) if they threaten me with detention, even if they would kill me, I would still speak up for Palestine." Contributing: Michael Karas, The Bergen Record; Michael Loria, USA TODAY.
