{"id":81583,"date":"2026-06-09T19:20:59","date_gmt":"2026-06-10T02:20:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lapost.us\/?p=81583"},"modified":"2026-06-09T19:20:59","modified_gmt":"2026-06-10T02:20:59","slug":"afghans-watch-as-supreme-court-weighs-tps-protections-for-haitians-syrians","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lapost.us\/?p=81583","title":{"rendered":"Afghans Watch as Supreme Court Weighs TPS Protections for Haitians, Syrians"},"content":{"rendered":"
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By<\/span>Edward Kissam<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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For the estimated 8,000 Afghans in the US whose Temporary Protected Status (TPS) designation was canceled in 2025, an anticipated Supreme Court ruling on the federal program carries a bitter, if not familiar irony.<\/p>\n

While the\u00a0current case<\/a>\u00a0centers on whether conditions in Haiti and Syria\u00a0still warrant continuing protections, its outcome will reverberate far beyond those two countries.<\/p>\n

\u201cMany of us supported initiatives that promoted women\u2019s participation, education, and economic opportunities,\u201d said Roya (we are using a pseudonym to protect against possible government reprisals). Now living in California, Roya spent years promoting equity for women in Afghanistan before the Taliban returned to power.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese activities were visible within our communities,\u201d she said, \u201cand may place some individuals at greater risk if they return to Afghanistan.\u201d<\/p>\n

A \u2018living hell\u2019<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Former Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem\u00a0ended Afghanistan\u2019s TPS designation<\/a>\u00a0in July of 2025, asserting there were \u201cnotable improvements in the security and economic situation\u201d that made return safe.<\/p>\n

Afghan TPS holders interviewed for this story disagree.<\/p>\n

Mohammad (also a pseudonym) is a father of four in Virginia who worked closely with U.S. forces in Afghanistan before their withdrawal from the country in 2021. After arriving in the US, he applied for a Special Immigrant Visa, reserved for those who provided support to the U.S. government abroad. Five years later, his visa has still not been processed.<\/p>\n

The loss of TPS status has also meant the end of his work authorization.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople need to understand what happens to a family of four, five, or six people when only one or two adults can work, while they also have young children, sick family members, or students to support,\u201d he said. Many Afghans he knows are similarly struggling to survive.<\/p>\n

He described Afghans he knows who became long-haul truck drivers while waiting for their immigration cases to move forward. \u201cAll of them have since lost their driving jobs and are now confined to their homes. Many work in small stores for very low wages (under the table), around $10 to $13 per hour, working 18, 20, or even more hours.\u201d<\/p>\n

He called the situation a \u201cliving hell.\u201d<\/p>\n