Trump administration considers allowing exemptions for Christians in its plan to deport certain Afghan refugees
The effort is expected to offer little assistance to Muslim Afghans, including those who aided American troops and civilians, as they may face severe repercussions if they return to the country.
TroibNews 
Trump administration officials have been in discussions about permitting some Afghan refugees to stay in the United States, following the recent revocation of the humanitarian parole status for a group of potentially vulnerable migrants from Afghanistan. This information comes from two administration officials familiar with these discussions.
The conversations about policy adjustments arise amid pressure from influential Christian leaders and nonprofit organizations urging the White House to provide protection for what they claim is a group of hundreds of at-risk Christian Afghan refugees, who still represent only a small fraction of the thousands potentially facing deportation in the near future. The leaders have emphasized the risk of persecution these individuals could encounter if they are sent back to Afghanistan, which has returned to Taliban rule after the U.S. withdrawal in 2021 — a situation initiated by President Donald Trump during his first term and carried out by President Joe Biden.
If even a small number of these refugees were allowed to remain, it would signify a notable shift for an administration that has mainly focused on eliminating temporary legal status for refugees worldwide as part of its deportation strategy. However, this effort is unlikely to extend to Muslim Afghans, including those who supported American military and civilian efforts, who also face serious threats upon their return.
On April 11, the Trump administration sent emails to certain Afghans who arrived in the U.S. after the Taliban's resurgence in 2021, informing them that their temporary legal protections had been revoked and that they were required to leave the country within seven days. The exact number of Afghans impacted by this decision remains unclear, as the Department of Homeland Security has not specified how many individuals received the notice, nor confirmed whether any of the emails were dispatched by mistake.
Administration officials are considering options to adjust the terms of the parole revocations to enable certain individuals to stay in the United States. According to one official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, there is a possibility of creating an "exemption list" to identify those most in danger if returned to Afghanistan. Nonetheless, a definitive policy change or reversal has not yet been established.
Both officials granted anonymity for discussions surrounding policy considerations stated that no final decision has been reached regarding solutions for those who received parole. However, it is anticipated that the administration will encourage Christian Afghans to pursue asylum, a sentiment echoed by White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt this week.
“If there are individuals here who came in through the Biden administration who want to claim asylum, there is a legal process to do that, and those cases will be adjudicated by a judge on a case-by-case basis,” Leavitt said when asked if Trump would contemplate deportation exceptions for Afghans facing death or torture upon returning.
Franklin Graham, a prominent evangelical leader and occasional personal pastor to Trump, is among those advocating for action on this issue. He recently met with the president and Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem to discuss the situation, according to sources familiar with the meetings who requested anonymity.
This situation has put the Trump administration in a complicated position, as it infrequently faces pressure from allies regarding its immigration policies. Trump has swiftly moved to reverse Biden-era policies, targeting Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and parole programs that he accuses the Biden administration of misusing.
The complexities surrounding the entry of Afghan refugees into the U.S. further complicate the political landscape for Trump. He has consistently criticized Biden's handling of the Afghanistan withdrawal in 2021, which prompted the U.S. to rush out 82,000 Afghans as the Taliban regained control. This crisis has left many Afghans in a precarious legal situation since Congress has yet to agree on how to secure legal permanent residency and citizenship for these refugees.
Christian advocacy groups have made significant efforts to amplify concerns regarding refugees at risk of deportation to the Trump administration. A memo addressed to high-ranking officials, including Noem, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Speaker Mike Johnson, requests a temporary pause on the termination of parole status for Christian Afghan refugees.
“We recommend that the Department of Homeland Security and the Office of the President issue a 90-day pause on the decision to revoke the parole status or provide Temporary Protected Status to hundreds of Afghan Christian refugees seeking asylum legally within the United States of America,” the memo states.
One individual referenced in an early version of the memo is a refugee who was tortured by the Taliban in 2021; he has since attempted to rebuild his life in the U.S. while awaiting a decision on his asylum claim but is now facing deportation.
Afghan refugees who escaped persecution following the U.S. withdrawal received temporary protections through three Biden-era initiatives. Many were granted humanitarian parole during Operation Allies Welcome, while others utilized the CBP One app, introduced in 2023, to schedule appointments at ports of entry to seek asylum.
In addition to the thousands granted humanitarian parole, the Biden administration in 2022 also conferred TPS to Afghan nationals living in the U.S. without permanent legal status, citing armed conflict and insurgency in Afghanistan as justification. While these additional protections were repetitive for those already paroled, they offered deportation relief to others not evacuated. However, the Trump administration also eliminated these safeguards earlier this month.
It remains uncertain which Afghans have lost their parole status, and advocates have reported that the communication process regarding these changes has been disorganized and confusing. An April 3 email from Customs and Border Protection to some Afghan and Ukrainian refugees was mistakenly sent, as confirmed in a court filing. However, other Afghans received a notice on April 11 — similar to those mistakenly issued earlier — revoking their temporary parole and mandating their departure within seven days.
Even those Afghans whose parole has not been canceled are facing the expiration of their legal protections in the coming months, starting in July and continuing through October, according to Shawn VanDiver, president and CEO of the nonprofit AfghanEvac.
Afghans who supported the U.S. military efforts in Afghanistan have been able to settle in the U.S. through the Special Immigrant Visa program, which, however, has limitations. Numerous Afghans continue to seek more permanent status. The temporary protections previously extended have now lapsed, leading to growing apprehension among immigration advocates regarding the prospect of Afghans being forced to return under Taliban rule, especially those who worked with the U.S. or allied nations and fear retribution.
Many of those Afghans are Muslim and would not benefit from any protection efforts focused solely on Christian Afghan refugees. The Department of Homeland Security has not provided answers to multiple inquiries about the parole revocations; instead, spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin referenced Noem’s decision to end TPS, citing the "country's improved security situation and its stabilizing economy" as reasons why Afghan nationals should be able to return.
Regarding TPS, which will affect an estimated 14,600 eligible Afghans set to lose their status in May, McLaughlin asserted that the program is “designed to be temporary” and noted that DHS records indicate that some TPS recipients have been investigated for issues related to fraud, public safety, and national security.
Trump has swiftly initiated the ending of TPS for hundreds of thousands of migrants, although his administration has encountered legal roadblocks. Furthermore, efforts to terminate legal protections for migrants from several Central American countries, as well as the cessation of parole for those who entered via the Biden administration’s CBP One app, have also been enacted.
Sophie Wagner for TROIB News
The conversations about policy adjustments arise amid pressure from influential Christian leaders and nonprofit organizations urging the White House to provide protection for what they claim is a group of hundreds of at-risk Christian Afghan refugees, who still represent only a small fraction of the thousands potentially facing deportation in the near future. The leaders have emphasized the risk of persecution these individuals could encounter if they are sent back to Afghanistan, which has returned to Taliban rule after the U.S. withdrawal in 2021 — a situation initiated by President Donald Trump during his first term and carried out by President Joe Biden.
If even a small number of these refugees were allowed to remain, it would signify a notable shift for an administration that has mainly focused on eliminating temporary legal status for refugees worldwide as part of its deportation strategy. However, this effort is unlikely to extend to Muslim Afghans, including those who supported American military and civilian efforts, who also face serious threats upon their return.
On April 11, the Trump administration sent emails to certain Afghans who arrived in the U.S. after the Taliban's resurgence in 2021, informing them that their temporary legal protections had been revoked and that they were required to leave the country within seven days. The exact number of Afghans impacted by this decision remains unclear, as the Department of Homeland Security has not specified how many individuals received the notice, nor confirmed whether any of the emails were dispatched by mistake.
Administration officials are considering options to adjust the terms of the parole revocations to enable certain individuals to stay in the United States. According to one official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, there is a possibility of creating an "exemption list" to identify those most in danger if returned to Afghanistan. Nonetheless, a definitive policy change or reversal has not yet been established.
Both officials granted anonymity for discussions surrounding policy considerations stated that no final decision has been reached regarding solutions for those who received parole. However, it is anticipated that the administration will encourage Christian Afghans to pursue asylum, a sentiment echoed by White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt this week.
“If there are individuals here who came in through the Biden administration who want to claim asylum, there is a legal process to do that, and those cases will be adjudicated by a judge on a case-by-case basis,” Leavitt said when asked if Trump would contemplate deportation exceptions for Afghans facing death or torture upon returning.
Franklin Graham, a prominent evangelical leader and occasional personal pastor to Trump, is among those advocating for action on this issue. He recently met with the president and Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem to discuss the situation, according to sources familiar with the meetings who requested anonymity.
This situation has put the Trump administration in a complicated position, as it infrequently faces pressure from allies regarding its immigration policies. Trump has swiftly moved to reverse Biden-era policies, targeting Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and parole programs that he accuses the Biden administration of misusing.
The complexities surrounding the entry of Afghan refugees into the U.S. further complicate the political landscape for Trump. He has consistently criticized Biden's handling of the Afghanistan withdrawal in 2021, which prompted the U.S. to rush out 82,000 Afghans as the Taliban regained control. This crisis has left many Afghans in a precarious legal situation since Congress has yet to agree on how to secure legal permanent residency and citizenship for these refugees.
Christian advocacy groups have made significant efforts to amplify concerns regarding refugees at risk of deportation to the Trump administration. A memo addressed to high-ranking officials, including Noem, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Speaker Mike Johnson, requests a temporary pause on the termination of parole status for Christian Afghan refugees.
“We recommend that the Department of Homeland Security and the Office of the President issue a 90-day pause on the decision to revoke the parole status or provide Temporary Protected Status to hundreds of Afghan Christian refugees seeking asylum legally within the United States of America,” the memo states.
One individual referenced in an early version of the memo is a refugee who was tortured by the Taliban in 2021; he has since attempted to rebuild his life in the U.S. while awaiting a decision on his asylum claim but is now facing deportation.
Afghan refugees who escaped persecution following the U.S. withdrawal received temporary protections through three Biden-era initiatives. Many were granted humanitarian parole during Operation Allies Welcome, while others utilized the CBP One app, introduced in 2023, to schedule appointments at ports of entry to seek asylum.
In addition to the thousands granted humanitarian parole, the Biden administration in 2022 also conferred TPS to Afghan nationals living in the U.S. without permanent legal status, citing armed conflict and insurgency in Afghanistan as justification. While these additional protections were repetitive for those already paroled, they offered deportation relief to others not evacuated. However, the Trump administration also eliminated these safeguards earlier this month.
It remains uncertain which Afghans have lost their parole status, and advocates have reported that the communication process regarding these changes has been disorganized and confusing. An April 3 email from Customs and Border Protection to some Afghan and Ukrainian refugees was mistakenly sent, as confirmed in a court filing. However, other Afghans received a notice on April 11 — similar to those mistakenly issued earlier — revoking their temporary parole and mandating their departure within seven days.
Even those Afghans whose parole has not been canceled are facing the expiration of their legal protections in the coming months, starting in July and continuing through October, according to Shawn VanDiver, president and CEO of the nonprofit AfghanEvac.
Afghans who supported the U.S. military efforts in Afghanistan have been able to settle in the U.S. through the Special Immigrant Visa program, which, however, has limitations. Numerous Afghans continue to seek more permanent status. The temporary protections previously extended have now lapsed, leading to growing apprehension among immigration advocates regarding the prospect of Afghans being forced to return under Taliban rule, especially those who worked with the U.S. or allied nations and fear retribution.
Many of those Afghans are Muslim and would not benefit from any protection efforts focused solely on Christian Afghan refugees. The Department of Homeland Security has not provided answers to multiple inquiries about the parole revocations; instead, spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin referenced Noem’s decision to end TPS, citing the "country's improved security situation and its stabilizing economy" as reasons why Afghan nationals should be able to return.
Regarding TPS, which will affect an estimated 14,600 eligible Afghans set to lose their status in May, McLaughlin asserted that the program is “designed to be temporary” and noted that DHS records indicate that some TPS recipients have been investigated for issues related to fraud, public safety, and national security.
Trump has swiftly initiated the ending of TPS for hundreds of thousands of migrants, although his administration has encountered legal roadblocks. Furthermore, efforts to terminate legal protections for migrants from several Central American countries, as well as the cessation of parole for those who entered via the Biden administration’s CBP One app, have also been enacted.
Sophie Wagner for TROIB News
