Humanitarian migrants in US fear deportation after shooting

The tightening of migration policies under the Trump administration has left vulnerable humanitarian migrants fearing they could be forced back into dangerous situations.

Last week, the US cancelled temporary protected status (TPS) for Myanmar nationals, claiming conditions had improved enough for them to return. Days later, following the shooting of two National Guard soldiers in Washington DC — allegedly by an Afghan asylum recipient who had previously worked with the CIA — the US Citizenship and Immigration Services froze all asylum decisions, halted Afghan visas, and announced reviews of already approved residency cases from “countries of concern.”

USCIS director Joseph Edlow said all asylum cases were paused “until every alien is vetted and screened to the maximum degree possible,” while US President Donald Trump called for a permanent halt to migration from “Third World Countries.”

Myanmar nationals fear return

Myanmar student Su Htet, who received TPS after the 2021 military coup, said ending the program leaves her and others in legal limbo — and at risk.

She fears arrest or conscription if forced back: “Just googling my name shows I’ve spoken out against the junta. They put activists on the front lines.”

Community members say the shooting has intensified anxiety among Myanmar TPS holders, asylum seekers, and even green-card holders.

Afghans pushed into uncertainty

Afghans already faced limited paths to protection after Afghanistan’s TPS ended. Now, with all Afghan processing frozen, thousands fear deportation.

Rights groups have condemned the measures as “collective punishment.” Bill Frelick of Human Rights Watch said punishing all Afghans for the actions of one individual “is not justice, but scapegoating.”

California-based asylum seeker Wessal Mukhtar, who worked with the US in Afghanistan, said his family now lives in “constant stress,” unsure whether they can stay, study, or remain safe. His asylum case has been pending since 2021.
“An entire displaced people should not be punished for an isolated incident,” he said. “We’ve already lost so much.”