US issues 7-Day Deadline for thousands of Afghan Refugees to leave

The U.S. has issued a 7-day deadline for thousands of Afghan refugees to leave, sparking concerns over their safety.

Reports indicate that the U.S. government has given Afghan refugees with Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and others who entered the country through various programs a seven-day ultimatum to leave the United States.

Shawn VanDiver, President of AfghanEvac, an organization that supports the resettlement of Afghan citizens in the U.S., announced on Friday, April 11, via a post on X that this “warning” had been issued to Afghan migrants residing in the U.S.

According to VanDiver, the notice has been delivered in writing to an unspecified number of Afghan refugees who arrived in the U.S. in recent years, particularly after the U.S. military’s withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021.

The Temporary Protected Status (TPS) allowed certain Afghan migrants to legally reside in the U.S. and protected them from deportation to a country facing unsafe conditions. However, recent reports indicate that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security has decided to terminate this program for about 14,600 Afghan refugees.

This decision follows the suspension of the refugee resettlement program under former President Donald Trump in January 2025, which led to around 1,660 Afghan refugees who had been approved for resettlement being removed from the flight lists.

VanDiver has described this move as “unacceptable” and warned that deporting these individuals to Afghanistan, where the Taliban considers them “traitors,” could result in their detention, torture, or even death.

Reaction and Concerns Over the New U.S. Decision

AfghanEvac, which has played a key role in relocating and resettling around 200,000 Afghans to the U.S. since the U.S. withdrawal in 2021, has strongly criticized the new decision. VanDiver emphasized that many of these refugees include the families of U.S. military personnel, judges, prosecutors, and female pilots from the former Afghan army, who are at risk of Taliban retribution due to their collaboration with the U.S.

He urged refugees to consult with immigration attorneys before taking any action and to avoid leaving the country, as doing so may jeopardize their chances of pursuing legal status.

Human rights organizations and some members of Congress have also condemned this move. The Democrats on the House Foreign Affairs Committee issued a statement calling the decision a “betrayal of Afghan allies” and labeled it “shameful.”

Additionally, the U.S. Refugee Assistance Afghan Coalition has sent an open letter to the President and Congress, requesting the reversal of this decision and continued support for those who fought alongside U.S. forces.

According to The Washington Post, the termination of TPS for thousands of Afghan refugees and the seven-day deadline for departure has put the lives of these refugees, who were in the process of rebuilding their lives in the U.S., in serious jeopardy.

The media outlet also reported that many of these individuals had arrived in the U.S. after years of waiting and undergoing complex security vetting, hoping for safety and a better future. Returning to “Taliban-controlled Afghanistan” is nearly impossible, especially for women and those who collaborated with the previous government or U.S. forces, as the Taliban imposes severe restrictions on women and suppresses their opponents.

This decision has sparked outrage and concern, especially given the ongoing risk faced by Afghan refugees under Taliban rule. While many are seeking ways to appeal their cases or find alternative solutions, the seven-day deadline only exacerbates an already dire situation. Advocacy groups continue to pressure the U.S. government to honor its commitments to Afghan allies and maintain protections for those in need.

The U.S. government’s move to revoke TPS for Afghan refugees raises questions about the country’s broader refugee policies and its responsibility towards those who assisted its military operations.

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