A US federal appeals court has temporarily blocked the Trump administration from ending temporary protected status (TPS) for thousands of Afghan nationals living in the country, court documents showed.

The Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals issued an emergency stay on the termination order on Monday, which was set to take effect July 15.

The ruling followed a request by immigration advocacy group CASA, which is challenging the Department of Homeland Security’s move to end TPS for both Afghans and Cameroonians.

"The administrative stay will remain in place until July 21," the court order said, giving the US government until 11:59 pm Eastern Time on Wednesday to respond.

CASA filed the lawsuit after the Trump administration announced in April that it would terminate TPS for citizens of Afghanistan and Cameroon, arguing that conditions in both countries no longer justified the protections.

The protected status for Cameroonians is scheduled to expire on August 4.

In April, the Department of Homeland Security said deteriorating conditions had improved enough to lift deportation protections for both countries.

TPS allows eligible foreign nationals to remain and work in the US legally due to conflict, natural disaster, or other extraordinary conditions in their home countries.

More than 82,000 Afghans were evacuated to the US following the Taliban's takeover in 2021 after the US’ chaotic withdrawal.

Of those, over 70,000 entered on temporary "parole," which allowed for legal entry and stay for up to two years.