Biden administration grants temporary legal status and deportation protections to Afghan refugees in the US

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has announced that it will grant deportation protections and work permits to thousands of Afghan nationals who arrived in the last year, including those who crossed illegally at the southern border. This comes after a similar announcement was made for nationals from Venezuela. The DHS will extend and redesignate Afghanistan for Temporary Protected Status (TPS), which shields nationals from deportation and allows them to apply for work permits due to conditions in their home country. The move is based on the ongoing armed conflict in Afghanistan, where the Taliban has retaken control. The redesignation will open the program to new applicants who arrived between March 2022 and Wednesday, potentially benefiting up to 14,600 additional Afghans.