Democrats launch push to restore Afghan deportation protections in Congress

House Democrats are forcing a vote to shield Afghan nationals from looming deportations by restoring their protected status.

Democratic lawmakers in the House are launching a discharge petition to force a vote on restoring Temporary Protected Status for Afghan nationals. The legislative maneuver aims to bypass Republican leadership and prevent planned deportations of Afghans under the Trump administration. Advocates and lawmakers hope the effort will successfully reinstate the vital protections.

• The legislative tacticRepresentative Jason Crow is leading the discharge petition effort to compel a vote when Congress reconvenes.
• The underlying concernSupporters are racing to head off scheduled deportation flights targeting Afghan nationals.