SILVER SPRING, Maryland – The Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc. (CLINIC), is grieved and alarmed by the Trump administration's announcement that they will end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for nationals of Afghanistan and Cameroon.

"Exposing nationals of Afghanistan and Cameroon to the threat of deportation is inhumane and indefensible," said Anna Gallagher, CLINIC's executive director. "For many Afghans living in the United States, deportation to Afghanistan under Taliban control would be a death sentence – particularly for women and girls and for those who have served in the military or Western institutions. Cameroon continues to face a deepening humanitarian disaster as well. If TPS is to end, other legal pathways must be made available for the nationals of these countries who have sought safety in the United States. Failing to do so could have dire implications for those who rely on our protection."

The Trump administration has also recently revoked TPS for Venezuela and partially vacated TPS for Haiti.

"We hope and pray that as a nation we can act with true concern for our brothers and sisters living among us who fear returning to their countries of origin," Gallagher continued. "In this Holy Week, when Catholics celebrate the death and resurrection of Jesus, we are reminded that we are called to love one another as Christ did – with a love that knows no bounds. Let us not abandon our brothers and sisters to the threat of deportation to situations of danger and violence but rather choose compassion and life."