Trump administration moves to end TPS for Honduran, Nicaraguan immigrants
The Department of Homeland Security, under the Trump administration, is planning to end Temporary Protected Status for people from Honduras and Nicaragua who are currently living in the United States. TPS is a humanitarian immigration status given to people from certain countries that are experiencing problems like natural disasters, war or other unsafe conditions in their home countries. It allows them to live and work legally in the U.S. for a limited time.
Thousands may be forced to leave
Honduran and Nicaraguan migrants who were allowed to stay in the U.S. temporarily due to dangerous conditions in their home countries may now have to leave.
DHS Secretary Kristi Noem told Fox News Digital that conditions that prompted the protected status have long been mitigated.
“Temporary Protected Status was designed to be just that—temporary,” she said. “It is clear that the government of Honduras has taken all of the necessary steps to overcome the impacts of Hurricane Mitch, almost 27 years ago.”
Longtime U.S. residents affected
Approximately 72,000 Hondurans and 4,000 Nicaraguans currently living in the U.S. are protected under TPS, according to the official DHS documents released on Monday. Many of these individuals have been in the U.S. since the 1990s.
More countries could be impacted
The Trump administration is taking steps to end TPS protections for immigrants from several countries, including Afghanistan, Cameroon, Haiti, Nepal and Venezuela. Hundreds of thousands of people who were once protected under TPS could be targeted by immigration enforcement if they do not leave the country voluntarily.
However, a federal judge put a hold on the administration’s plan to revoke protected status of Venezuelans in response to a legal challenge.
Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
