WASHINGTON, D.C. - US Senators Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-New Hampshire) have united in opposition to the Trump administration’s decision to terminate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Afghan nationals, highlighting the severe consequences for Afghan women and girls in particular.
Speaking at a gathering of nonprofit and tribal leaders in Anchorage on April 14, Murkowski made news when she said that the current political climate makes her “very anxious” about the consequences of speaking out. “We are all afraid,” Murkowski said in remarks first reported by the Anchorage Daily News.
“It’s quite a statement. But we are in a time and a place where I don’t know, I certainly have not been here before. And I’ll tell ya, I’m oftentimes very anxious myself about using my voice, because retaliation is real. And that’s not right. But that’s what you asked me to do. And so, I’m going to use my voice to the best of my ability."
Despite the risks, on May 23, Murkowski and Shaheen issued a joint letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, denouncing the termination of TPS as a “historic betrayal” of American values and a direct threat to thousands of lives.
“This decision endangers thousands, including Afghans who stood by the United States,” the senators wrote. “It represents a historic betrayal of promises made and undermines the values we fought for over more than two decades in Afghanistan.”
Murkowski, known for her independent streak and re-elected in 2022 under Alaska’s nonpartisan election system, and Shaheen, a senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, argue that deporting Afghan women and girls would return them to a regime that thrives on their repression.
“Millions of Afghans are on the brink of famine. The Taliban has confined women to their homes,” they warned. “Deporting Afghan women and girls would condemn them to a life of fear and oppression.”
Many Afghans arrived in the US under humanitarian parole but have no clear path to permanent residency. Murkowski was an original cosponsor of the Afghan Adjustment Act, introduced in 2022 and reintroduced in the 2023–24 Congress.
The bill aimed to provide lawful permanent residency for Afghan nationals but was ultimately shelved, leaving thousands in uncertainty. “Giving our Afghan allies a chance to apply for permanent legal status is the right and necessary thing to do,” said lead sponsor Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) when the bill was first introduced.
At a May 9 Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee hearing, Murkowski pressed Secretary Noem about delays in TPS and humanitarian parole cases. She emphasized that Afghan nationals in Alaska are productive, valued members of their communities, contributing to the workforce and tax base, yet live in fear of deportation.
“In Alaska, we have a meaningful population of immigrants, Afghans, Ukrainians, Venezuelans, and Haitians, who are living under TPS or humanitarian parole,” Murkowski said. “These individuals are helping meet workforce needs. They’re worried about their futures, and rightly so.”
Secretary Noem responded by framing TPS as inherently temporary: “Some of these TPS programs have been in place for many years. The administration is reevaluating whether and when TPS should be applied.”
Just three days later, on May 12, the administration moved forward with its decision. The TPS designation for Afghanistan is set to end on July 14, 2025, at 11:59 p.m.
Shaheen and Murkowski, who represent states with large independent voter populations, argue that America’s credibility and moral standing are at stake. Their joint letter transcends partisan lines, underscoring a shared conviction that the United States must honor its commitments.
“Reinstating TPS protections for Afghan nationals,” they conclude, “reaffirms to our allies and partners around the world that the United States stands by those who stand with us.”