White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt delivered a sharp response to a reporter on Tuesday after being pressed about the administration’s decision to end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Afghans, including several hundred Christians who face brutal persecution under the Taliban.

The pointed exchange centered around the fate of approximately 9,000 Afghans—many of whom are Christians—who are now facing potential deportation following the termination of the TPS program enacted under the Biden administration.

“The administration ended some temporary protections for Afghans, including several hundred Christians who have been punished by the Taliban. Is the President considering any exceptions for Afghans who could face death or torture if they return to their home country?” the reporter asked.

“So let’s just be clear about one thing: We didn’t end that proactively,” Leavitt said. “It expired. And it’s because the previous administration illegally paroled hundreds of thousands of people into the country and then gave them temporary protective status, which, again, is a temporary status. It’s not a permanent status in this country.”

Several humanitarian groups, including World Relief and the Enduring Hope Alliance, have urged the Trump administration to reconsider the decision, calling it a matter of life and death for those affected. But Leavitt made it clear the administration is not budging.

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“If there are individuals here who came in through the Biden administration who want to claim asylum, there is a legal process to do that, and those cases will be adjudicated by a judge on a case-by-case basis,” she said.

The administration’s stance is rooted in what officials describe as a return to lawful immigration protocols. According to the Department of Homeland Security, Afghanistan no longer meets the statutory criteria required for TPS—a designation intended for countries experiencing armed conflict, environmental disasters, or other extraordinary conditions.

Leavitt underscored that the decision is not about singling out Afghans or Christians but about restoring order to a system that, she argued, was abused under former President Biden’s leadership.

Kabul, Afghanistan, August 1 2021, refugee children after the collapse of the country in August 2021 by the Taliban in the North of the country

“We have a legal immigration process in this country for a reason and all this administration is trying to do is effectuate that,” Leavitt stated firmly.

For its part, the Trump administration has directed those affected to pursue other legal avenues, such as asylum or Special Immigrant Visas (SIVs), and has encouraged those in need to seek help from legal aid groups.

​In the wake of the U.S. military withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021, the Biden administration initiated a large-scale evacuation and resettlement effort to assist at-risk Afghan nationals. This operation, known as Operation Allies Welcome (OAW), facilitated the relocation of over 76,000 Afghans to the United States.

The majority of evacuees were admitted under humanitarian parole, a temporary status granting two years of legal residence and work authorization. While this provided immediate safety, it did not offer a direct path to permanent residency, leaving many in a state of legal uncertainty.