Noem's claim that Afghan refugees can safely return to their Taliban-ruled homeland is 'just absurd,' advocates say

The Trump administration says Afghan refugees can safely return to Afghanistan despite warnings that many face the threat of persecution and even execution.

The Trump administration says Afghan refugees can safely return to Afghanistan despite warnings from rights groups and lawmakers that Afghans who worked for the U.S. military face the threat of persecution, imprisonment and even execution by the Taliban regime.

The Department of Homeland Security announced on Monday it had stripped legal protections for thousands of Afghans in the U.S., saying that the security and economic situation in Afghanistan no longer justified granting them temporary protected status, or TPS.

“We’ve reviewed the conditions in Afghanistan with our interagency partners, and they do not meet the requirements for a TPS designation,” Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said in a statement.

“Afghanistan has had an improved security situation, and its stabilizing economy no longer” prevents Afghans from returning to their home country, she said. 

DHS officials had previously signaled plans to cancel temporary protected status for Afghans but did not formally rescind it until Monday.