US issues 0ne-Week Deadline for thousands of Afghan Refugees to leave
The U.S. has issued a seven-day ultimatum for thousands of Afghan refugees, particularly those with Temporary Protected Status (TPS), to leave the country, raising serious safety concerns, Khaama Press reported. This warning, announced by Shawn VanDiver, President of AfghanEvac, affects many who arrived after the U.S. military withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021. The Department of Homeland Security plans to terminate TPS for approximately 14,600 Afghan refugees, which previously protected them from deportation amid unsafe conditions in Afghanistan.
The decision follows the suspension of the refugee resettlement program under former President Donald Trump in January 2025, resulting in about 1,660 approved Afghan refugees being removed from flight lists. VanDiver criticized the move as “unacceptable,” emphasizing the risk of detention, torture, or death for those deported back to Taliban-controlled Afghanistan.
AfghanEvac has resettled around 200,000 Afghans since 2021, including families of U.S. military personnel and other collaborators. Human rights organizations and some congressional Democrats condemned the decision, labeling it a “betrayal” of Afghan allies. The U.S. Refugee Assistance Afghan Coalition has called for a reversal of the decision. The seven-day deadline complicates the already precarious situation for refugees striving to rebuild their lives in the U.S.
