Trump Administration Ends TPS for Cameroonians Amid Ongoing Conflict and Humanitarian Crisis

The Trump administration has announced the termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for approximately 7,900 Cameroonians residing legally in the United States. The decision will also affect around 14,600 Afghans who had received similar protections, as confirmed on Friday by a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

TPS, a designation created under the Immigration Act of 1990, allows individuals already present in the U.S. to remain and work temporarily if conditions in their home country make return unsafe due to armed conflict, environmental disasters, or extraordinary circumstances. President Donald Trump’s renewed crackdown on immigration during his second term rapidly dismantles these protections.

The initial designation of TPS for Cameroon by the Biden administration in June 2022 recognised the severity of the humanitarian crisis. In October 2023, authorities extended and redesignated this protection, recognising that the conditions preventing safe return continued. The redesignation allowed additional Cameroonians who had arrived in the U.S. after the initial designation date to apply for TPS.

DHS Justifies Decision Despite Mounting Violence in Cameroon

In a formal statement, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem asserted that conditions in Afghanistan and Cameroon “no longer meet the statutory requirements for TPS.” The protections for Cameroonians are now set to expire on June 7, 2025.

The Trump administration argues that conditions in Cameroon no longer warrant the continuation of TPS. However, critics point to the persistent and escalating violence between government forces and Anglophone separatists in the Northwest and Southwest regions of the country. This conflict, ongoing since 2017, has resulted in widespread human rights abuses, including extrajudicial killings, attacks on civilians, and the displacement of nearly one million people within Cameroon.

The Far North region faces ongoing attacks from Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), causing more displacement, food insecurity, and a breakdown of essential services. International organisations and the U.S. State Department have consistently reported on these dire conditions, highlighting the dangers facing civilians.

“Ending TPS for Cameroonians is a cruel and dangerous escalation of the Trump administration’s anti-immigrant agenda and a shameful betrayal of our moral and humanitarian obligations,” ¹ stated Hussam Ayloush, CEO of the California chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-CA). “These individuals have fled war, persecution, and instability, and this decision will separate families and force people into the shadows.”

Cameroon’s Ongoing Anglophone Crisis

Since 2017, government forces and separatist groups have engaged in a brutal conflict in Cameroon’s English-speaking North West and South West regions. The so-called Anglophone Crisis emerged from long-standing grievances over political and economic marginalisation of English-speaking Cameroonians by the Francophone-dominated central government.

What began as peaceful protests has devolved into a protracted and deadly conflict. Accusations have surfaced against government troops for extrajudicial killings, burning villages, torture, and arbitrary arrests. Separatist fighters have targeted civilians, schools, and local leaders. More than 700,000 people face internal displacement, and thousands more are escaping the country.

“Returning to Cameroon would put me and thousands of others in grave danger, as violence and government attacks continue to devastate our communities back home,” said one Cameroonian TPS holder, speaking anonymously to MMI.

Despite these realities, DHS claims that “sufficient improvement” has occurred to justify the end of TPS.

Different Groups Sound the Alarm

The decision has been met with disbelief by refugee advocates and human rights organisations. “The Trump administration is knowingly sending people back to war zones,” said Angela Mbah, a Cameroonian-American community organiser based in Maryland. “This is more than policy—this is life or death.”

A group of U.S. lawmakers sent a letter to Secretary Noem earlier this month urging the administration to extend TPS for Cameroonians, citing worsening security conditions, humanitarian collapse, and persistent human rights abuses.

“The country’s worsening security situation, combined with its ongoing humanitarian crisis and human rights violations, makes return impossible,” the letter said.

Broader Crackdown on Immigrant Protections

The termination of TPS for Cameroonians is part of a broader effort by President Trump to dismantle legal immigration pathways created or expanded under former President Joe Biden. Since returning to office in 2025, Trump has taken aim at programmes providing refuge to vulnerable populations, from Afghans and Venezuelans to Cubans and Haitians.

Earlier this year, the administration moved to rescind humanitarian parole granted under Biden to more than 500,000 people from those four countries. Although a federal judge recently blocked that move, the administration’s strategy remains clear: reduce legal avenues for immigration and ramp up deportation efforts.

Trump proposed a campaign of “mass deportations,” facilitating this by stripping TPS and other humanitarian protections from hundreds of thousands of migrants.

What Happens Next for Cameroonians?

For the nearly 8,000 Cameroonians currently protected under TPS, the future is now uncertain. Many have been in the U.S. for years, building lives, families, and careers. Losing TPS will mean losing work authorisation and becoming vulnerable to deportation. This could mean returning to a country where their lives are at risk.

Legal advocates are encouraging TPS holders to consult immigration attorneys immediately to explore alternative forms of relief, such as asylum, Special Immigrant Juvenile Status, or family-based petitions.

International and Domestic Fallout

The U.S. decision to end TPS for Cameroon could have regional and diplomatic consequences, potentially straining relations with African nations and international human rights organisations. Domestically, it places increased pressure on cities with large African immigrant communities, many of which are bracing for potential immigration raids and family separations.

Meanwhile, in Cameroon, fears grow over a possible influx of deportees into a country already struggling to cope with widespread displacement, food insecurity, and political instability.

As President Trump doubles down on restrictive immigration policies, the lives of thousands of Cameroonians hang in the balance. While the administration insists it is “restoring the rule of law,” critics argue that it is abandoning moral responsibility and turning a blind eye to violence and injustice abroad. Furthermore, this is not the first time a Trump administration is taking such actions. The last deportations had dire consequences for those sent back to Cameroon.

The termination of TPS in Cameroon may seem like a bureaucratic decision, but for many families, it could be the start of an agonising new chapter. It is one marked by fear, uncertainty, and the threat of a return to danger.

Mimi Mefo Info