When the Taliban seized Afghanistan, public prosecutor Roya fled for her life – 18 months and 11 countries later she arrived in the United States believing she had finally found safety.

But now Roya is terrified she may be forced after the Trump administration announced it would end Temporary Protected Status, or TPS, for Afghans, leaving them at risk of deportation.

“This is truly shocking and an injustice to those who cooperated with the Americans for 20 years,” said Roya, 34, who used a pseudonym for safety reasons.

“It is a betrayal by the Trump administration,” she told Context.

TPS will end on July 14, impacting an estimated . They include Afghans who previously worked for the US in Afghanistan as well as journalists, political activists and others who fear reprisals by the Taliban.

“People are petrified,” said Arash Azizzada, founder of , a New York-based community organisation.

“Everybody has seen the horror of the Taliban regime so you can just imagine how deeply scared people are. I’ve been fielding calls from people in tears.”

He said it was shocking how fast the US had moved from calling Afghans allies to painting them as a potential threat.

Members of Congress, US veterans and rights organisations also condemned the decision as cruel and dangerous.

Some contrasted the...