House Democrats File Discharge Petition to Force Vote on Afghanistan TPS Act of 2026

House Democrats filed a discharge petition November 9, 2026, seeking a House vote on the Afghanistan TPS Act of 2026. Reps. Jason Crow of Colorado and Sam Liccardo of California are leading the effort.

Background: Sam Liccardo Files Discharge Petition for Afghanistan TPS Act of 2026

It is not law, and the petition does not itself grant anyone protection.

As of November 9, the petition had 21 signatures: 20 Democrats and Republican Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska. It needs 218 to advance.

The bill proposes renewed TPS, but its individual eligibility rules remain unclear

TPS allows eligible people to live and work legally in the United States. The bill seeks to restore that protection for Afghan nationals, but it does not establish in the material available here which individual Afghan nationals would qualify or what application process they would use.

The measure was introduced in July 2026 and remains pending in the House Judiciary Committee. The legislation would have to pass before any of its proposed protections could take effect.

Crow said the legislation would honor commitments to Afghans who helped U.S. forces.

“Our Afghan partners put their lives on the line to help protect American servicemembers like me. After more than two decades of war, we made a promise that we’d look after them. It’s both a moral and national security imperative that we keep that promise.”

The Trump administration formally announced the end of Afghanistan’s TPS designation on May 12, 2025. Then-Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said, “This administration is returning TPS to its original temporary intent,” and argued that conditions in Afghanistan had improved.

The Department of Homeland Security granted TPS to more than 9,000 Afghans after the U.S. withdrawal. That figure describes people who received the status, not a confirmed count of people currently at risk of deportation.

A successful petition would start a vote process, not enact protection

The signatures on the petition are separate from the bill’s co-sponsors. Bacon, a Republican, is both a signer and a co-sponsor. The bill also has Republican co-sponsors Maria Elvira Salazar of Florida, Joe Wilson of South Carolina and Morgan Luttrell of Texas. Rep. Kevin Kiley, a Republican-turned-independent from California, has backed the measure.

If the petition reaches its threshold, it would bring the procedural resolution forward and require House leaders to allow consideration of the bill. The legislation would then need a majority vote on the House floor to pass.

The Senate would be another hurdle. A separate version introduced in August was referred to committee, and its prospects remain uncertain. Senate Republican Conference Chair Tom Cotton of Arkansas has opposed past efforts to give status to Afghan nationals who arrived during the Biden-era evacuation.

In April, the House passed a Haitian TPS bill 224-204, with 10 Republicans joining Democrats, but Senate Republicans have not brought it to the floor.

Removal plans and the end of a temporary court order add urgency

The petition comes as Afghan nationals face possible removal. A Department of Homeland Security court filing listed deportation flights scheduled for November 16, with a proposed route through Pakistan and then onward to Afghanistan.

An earlier temporary court order blocking deportations to Afghanistan or Pakistan expired November 7. That court action is separate from the bill and does not provide the proposed longer-term protection.

Some former TPS holders have struggled to secure other status, including through asylum backlogs or the requirements for a Special Immigrant Visa. Pakistan has said the deportation plan is under review, while the Taliban has opposed it. People in immigration custody facing removal include women.

House Clerk records will show whether the petition gains support

A House vote date is not set by the petition itself; House leaders would control when to bring the measure forward if it advances.

Until Congress acts, the proposal does not restore TPS.

This article provides general information and is not legal advice. Consult a qualified immigration attorney about your specific case.