WASHINGTON (Reuters0 - The Trump administration has terminated temporary deportation protections for thousands of Afghans and Cameroonians in the U.S., a U.S. Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said on Friday, building on Trump's far-reaching immigration crackdown.
An estimated 14,600 Afghans eligible for Temporary Protected Status will now lose it in May. Some 7,900 Cameroonians had access to the status but will lose it in June under the termination.
U.S. President Donald Trump, a Republican, took office in January pledging to deport record numbers of migrants in the U.S. illegally. At the same time, he has swiftly moved to strip migrants of temporary legal protections, expanding the pool of possible deportees.
The TPS program is available to people whose home countries experience a natural disaster, armed conflict or other extraordinary event. The status lasts 6-18 months, can be renewed by the Homeland Security secretary, and offers deportation protection and access to work permits.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem found that the conditions in Afghanistan and Cameroon no longer merited the protected status, spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement.
(Reporting by Ted Hesson; Editing by Franklin Paul and Chizu Nomiyama)
