Washington: In about two months, nearly 8,000 Cameroonians who are currently in the US on Temporary Protected Status (TPS) are likely to be deported to Cameroon, except for those undergoing asylum cases or have spousal processes to complete their marriage. The Trump government in April announced that they would not be extending TPS for Cameroonians beyond June 4, which is the date that was given by the Biden administration for the next TPS extensions for Cameroonians.
According to Cameroon News Agency, the whole issue around TPS is a curiously interesting one. Cameroonians received TPS thanks to the Biden administration, but many of them turned around and criticized President Biden, not because he had wronged them, but due to the Democratic Party’s advocacy for gay rights, a controversial topic among many Cameroonians. Despite the Democratic Party’s support for immigrants’ rights, including those from Cameroon, many Cameroonians voiced their support for Donald Trump, attracted by his self-proclaimed Christian values and his stance against LGBTQ rights.
Cameroonians were enthusiastic about Trump’s anti-LGBTQ stance, even though it did not directly affect their lives. Simultaneously, they ignored the broader implications of Trump’s rhetoric, which often targeted immigrants, including unfounded claims against migrants from Haiti. Trump’s narrative blamed immigrants for crime and drugs, a message that should have been a warning to Cameroonians as well.
They mistakenly believed they were exempt from Trump’s immigration policies, thinking his focus was only on Haitians and Mexicans. This situation recalls Martin Niem¶ller’s famous quote about the dangers of not speaking out against persecution. President Biden’s administration provided TPS and work status for Cameroonians, supporting them and their families. However, despite benefiting from Biden’s policies, many Cameroonians preferred Trump, who is now enforcing their deportation.
This scenario serves as a reminder for Cameroonians that cultural and political dynamics in the US differ significantly from those in Cameroon. While gay rights may not be a significant issue in Cameroon, they are in the US, where the Democrats support both LGBTQ and immigrants’ rights. Cameroonians, who often hold anti-abortion views, must recognize the Republican Party’s anti-immigrant stance, which threatens their TPS status.
Cameroonians enjoying TPS under Biden, whom they have criticized, will now learn that personal beliefs, such as one’s stance on LGBTQ rights or abortion, should not interfere with their own well-being and legal status in the US. Expressing support for Trump does not guarantee favorable treatment, as evidenced by the experiences of many Latinos who supported him yet faced deportation.
There is hope that the US Congress might intervene to prevent the deportation of Cameroonians, who could face serious risks, including arrest or violence, upon returning to their homeland, particularly in the NW and SW regions.