Trump administration interviews of Afghan immigrants spark deportation concerns as bipartisan lawmakers push TPS extension

The Trump administration's Office of Refugee Resettlement is launching a non-anonymous interview initiative targeting 800 Afghan immigrants, sparking intense deportation fears among refugee advocates. Concurrently, a bipartisan group of House lawmakers, including Representatives Jason Crow and Don Bacon, has introduced the Afghanistan TPS Act to extend Temporary Protected Status protections until July 1, 2029, arguing that the U.S. must protect allies who aided military forces from Taliban persecution.

Afghanistan TPS extension legislation

• ▪Representatives Jason Crow, Sam Liccardo, Don Bacon, and María Elvira Salazar introduced the Afghanistan TPS Act to extend Temporary Protected Status for eligible Afghan nationals
• ▪The Afghanistan TPS Act would designate Afghanistan for Temporary Protected Status under the Immigration and Nationality Act until July 1, 2029
• ▪To qualify for Temporary Protected Status under the proposed bill, Afghan nationals must have been continuously physically present in the United States since the law's enactment, submit biometric and biographic information, and complete background checks

Supreme Court TPS termination ruling

• ▪On June 25, 2026, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 6-3 in Mullin v. Doe that the Trump administration could proceed with terminating Temporary Protected Status protections for Haiti and Syria
• ▪The U.S. Supreme Court held in Mullin v. Doe that federal law generally limits judicial review of Department of Homeland Security decisions to end Temporary Protected Status designations

Afghan ally protection arguments

• ▪Representative Don Bacon stated that the United States should not turn its back on Afghan allies who risked everything to support American troops and missions
• ▪Representative Jason Crow stated that many Afghans supported U.S. forces during the two-decade war and that the United States must live up to its commitment to protect them

Trump administration deportation policy

• ▪The Trump administration has frozen refugee resettlement from most countries, paused new visas for Afghans, and banned travel from Afghanistan to the United States
• ▪The Office of Refugee Resettlement questionnaire includes a notice that answers are not anonymous and that shared information could be retained for 15 years
• ▪The Administration for Children and Families stated that the Office of Refugee Resettlement works with federal law enforcement and is legally required to share information regarding suspected criminal activity
• ▪The Office of Refugee Resettlement is launching an initiative to interview approximately 800 Afghan immigrants in the United States regarding their identities, assimilation, and household immigration status

Taliban-controlled Afghanistan conditions

• ▪The Taliban rapidly seized control of Afghanistan in August 2021 following the collapse of the Afghan government and the withdrawal of U.S. forces
• ▪Representative María Elvira Salazar stated that thousands of Afghans who sought refuge in the United States cannot safely return because Afghanistan remains under Taliban control