• The U.S. appeals court permits the Trump administration to lift deportation protections for 14,600 Afghans and 7,900 Cameroonians.
• The court ruled there wasn't sufficient evidence to postpone the removal of Temporary Protected Status (TPS).
• Advocacy group CASA has highlighted potential dangers for those who could be deported back to unsafe conditions.
• Currently, about 11,700 Afghans and 5,200 Cameroonians are affected by this ruling.
• Officials argued the countries are now safe enough for return, despite ongoing conflicts.

A federal appeals court has ruled that the Trump administration can terminate deportation protections for immigrants from Afghanistan and Cameroon, affecting approximately 14,600 Afghans and 7,900 Cameroonians currently in the United States. The court found that the advocacy group CASA presented a plausible case but determined “there is insufficient evidence to warrant the extraordinary remedy of a postponement of agency action pending appeal,” allowing the administration to proceed with its decision to end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for these groups, according to Reuters and CBS News.

Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem’s decision to phase out TPS is based on claims that conditions in Afghanistan and Cameroon have improved sufficiently for return. However, CASA argues that the safety of returnees is at risk due to ongoing turmoil, including civil unrest in Afghanistan following the Taliban's takeover and armed conflicts in Cameroon involving Boko Haram, as highlighted in statements from The Hill and Africanews.

As TPS protections are set to end, around 9,600 Afghans and approximately 3,500 Cameroonians are urged to seek alternative legal statuses, such as asylum or protections under the Convention Against Torture, which could allow them to remain in the U.S. However, many who lose TPS may face the risk of deportation, which has prompted significant concern from advocacy groups, including AfghanEvac, as detailed by CBS News, Reuters, and The Hill.