Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi L. Noem announced that the department will terminate the temporary protected status (TPS) for Afghans in the United States on July 12, stating “notable improvements” in Afghanistan and that conditions no longer meet statutory requirements.

TPS, which protects foreign nationals who cannot return to their home country due to unstable conditions such as war or natural disasters, was offered by the Biden administration after the withdrawal of U.S. troops in Afghanistan and deteriorating conditions under the Taliban.

In a news release, Noem said that the status, which was set to expire May 20, will return “to its original temporary intent.”

“We’ve reviewed the conditions in Afghanistan with our interagency partners, and they do not meet the requirements for a TPS designation,” Noem said. “Afghanistan has had an improved security situation, and its stabilizing economy no longer prevent them from returning to their home country.”

Matthew Tragesser, chief of public affairs at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, said, “Bad actors are taking advantage of this humanitarian program,” prompting the decision to end such protections.

The termination has been highly criticized by resettlement advocacy groups, and more than 9,000 people from Afghanistan who were covered by TPS as of September could now face potential deportation.

“The decision to terminate TPS for Afghanistan is not rooted in reality — it’s rooted in politics. Afghanistan remains under the control of the Taliban. There is no functioning asylum system. There are still assassinations, arbitrary arrests and ongoing human rights abuses, especially against women and ethnic minorities,” said Shawn VanDiver, president of #AfghanEvac. “What the administration has done today is betray people who risked their lives for America, built lives here and believed in our promises.”