US Ends Temporary Protected Status for Cameroon, Citing Improved Conditions
The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced on Tuesday that it will end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Cameroon on August 3, 2025, citing improved conditions in the country. According to a notice published in the Federal Register, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem stated that a review of current conditions and interagency consultations determined that the West African country no longer meets the criteria for TPS designation.
This decision will affect an estimated 3,260 Cameroonians who have used the program to remain in the US, with some potentially then applying for more permanent immigration statuses. The program was initially granted to Cameroon in April 2022 for a standard 18-month period and was subsequently extended in December 2023 by the Biden administration.
The announcement has been met with criticism from immigration advocacy groups, who argue that many immigrants would be vulnerable to abuse, torture, or arrest should they be forced to return home. Nils Kinuani, federal policy manager at African Communities Together, told Newsweek in a statement: “This decision will leave many of our community members without the crucial protection they need. We maintain that the ongoing armed conflict and other unsafe conditions in Cameroon clearly warrant a redesignation and extension of TPS.”
The US Department of State currently lists Cameroon under a Level 2 “exercise increased caution” warning, due to ongoing armed violence, civil unrest, crime, health, and kidnapping concerns in different parts of the African nation. Despite this, DHS’s decision reflects similar justifications for revoking TPS for Afghanistan, Venezuela, and Haiti, among other nations.
In a brief statement on Tuesday, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) confirmed that it would allow TPS to lapse for Cameroonians on August 3, 2025. A Federal Register notice said DHS had reviewed conditions in Cameroon, alongside other federal agencies, and determined that “while certain conditions that led to the initial designation of TPS for Cameroon may continue, they do not pose a serious threat to individual safety due to ongoing armed conflict and do not result in Cameroonians being unable to safely return.”
The decision to end TPS for Cameroon has been met with lawsuits from immigration advocacy groups, who argue that the Trump administration’s decision is unlawful. A plaintiff in the May lawsuit, identified as O.M., stated: “Losing TPS exposes me to the risk of being forced to return to a country where I am not safe. I faced physical abuse all because of my religious faith when I lived in Cameroon. I can’t go back and suffer that again. This is my home.”
USCIS stated that Cameroon’s TPS will end on August 3, 2025, and that individuals who had utilized the program could self-deport. In a statement, USCIS said: “Aliens can use the CBP Home app to report their voluntary departure from the United States upon termination of their status.” Nils Kinuani, federal policy manager at African Communities Together, told Newsweek: “The decision to terminate, particularly as it comes after the statutory deadline, is not only unlawful but also contradicts our nation’s fundamental values of safeguarding the most vulnerable.”
The end of TPS for Cameroon is the latest in a series of moves by the Trump administration to lift protections from deportation for hundreds of thousands of immigrants who benefited from TPS. According to Newsweek, Secretary Noem argues that the program has been abused, but immigration advocacy groups have warned that many immigrants would be vulnerable to abuse, torture, or arrest should they be forced to return home.
As reported by Newsweek, the US Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Customs and Border Protection sign is displayed at the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Headquarters on May 18, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (Kevin Carter/Getty Images)
In response to the decision, immigration advocacy groups are urging the administration to reconsider. As Nils Kinuani stated: “We maintain that the ongoing armed conflict and other unsafe conditions in Cameroon clearly warrant a redesignation and extension of TPS.” The decision to end TPS for Cameroon will be reviewed by Secretary Noem as they approach their 18-month expiration dates.
Source: Newsweek – US Ends TPS for Cameroon, DHS Says Conditions Have Improved
This article is based on reporting by Newsweek. For the original article, please visit: https://www.newsweek.com/us-ends-tps-cameroon-dhs-self-deport-2080464.
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