Deporting Afghans, Welcoming White Afrikaners; A National Disgrace for America

DIDPress: In a powerful op-ed published by MSNBC, Matt Johnson describes the Trump administration’s policy toward Afghan refugees as a “national disgrace.” With the looming termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Afghans and the potential deportation of over 9,000 individuals, the U.S. government is accused of acting inhumanely and hypocritically—especially as it opens its doors to white Afrikaners from South Africa under the pretext of racial persecution.

The Trump administration’s approach to Afghan asylum seekers has been riddled with discriminatory policies and moral failures. On his first day in office, Donald Trump signed an executive order halting the U.S. refugee admission program, which directly affected Afghans, including those in the final stages of an already rigorous vetting process.

In a recent statement, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced that TPS for Afghans will end on May 20 and be fully revoked by July 12. This move places thousands of Afghans—many of whom supported U.S. forces during the war—in immediate danger of deportation. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem justified the decision by claiming that Afghanistan’s security situation had improved and its economy is stabilizing.

However, the economic reality in Afghanistan tells a different story. With a per capita GDP of only $415—nearly 200 times less than that of the United States—the country remains one of the poorest in the world. What the administration calls “stabilization” has occurred largely due to halted international aid and ongoing sanctions. Billions in central bank assets remain frozen, and the Taliban government has yet to gain international recognition, including from the United States.

Despite these conditions, Noem said that Afghanistan no longer meets the criteria for TPS designation. The decision comes as a shock, especially when no group appears more deserving of TPS protection than the very Afghans now facing swift deportation. To claim that conditions in Afghanistan have improved enough to warrant forced return is not only illogical—it is cruel.

Compounding the outrage, Trump’s policies have simultaneously favored white South African immigrants—specifically Afrikaners—under the narrative that they face racial persecution. This stark contrast exposes what Johnson describes as the administration’s “shameless hypocrisy.” The issue is not merely about race, but about personal and political interest. Elon Musk, Trump’s top donor and a South African-born billionaire, has publicly voiced concern over an alleged “genocide” of Afrikaners in South Africa—a claim widely disputed by human rights groups.

Meanwhile, Afghan allies of the U.S. military continue to struggle in bringing their families to safety. Many American soldiers have shared harrowing stories, through outlets like Military Times, about relatives in Afghanistan being hunted—or worse—because of their ties to the U.S.

In abandoning Afghan refugees while favoring white immigrants from politically convenient backgrounds, the Trump administration stands accused of betraying its promises, abandoning its allies, and tarnishing America’s global image. Johnson concludes that this selective compassion reveals a deeper, systemic injustice at the heart of U.S. immigration policy—one that history will not forget easily.