A U.S. federal appeals court has handed the Trump administration a major victory in its long-running effort to end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for thousands of immigrants from Central America and Nepal. The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco has stayed a lower court’s ruling that had ordered TPS extensions for these groups, clearing the way for the administration to end the protections.
The decision affects around 60,000 immigrants, including approximately 7,000 from Nepal whose TPS expired on August 5. TPS for about 51,000 Hondurans and 3,000 Nicaraguans is set to expire on September 8.
The Trump administration has long argued that TPS was never intended to provide permanent residency or asylum, but previous administrations used it that way. Trump officials say they are restoring the program to its original purpose.
What is Temporary Protected Status?
Temporary Protected Status is a legal designation granted by the U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security to citizens of countries facing unsafe conditions such as natural disasters, political unrest, or other extraordinary circumstances. TPS allows immigrants to live and work in the U.S. temporarily. Former Secretary Kristi Noem can grant TPS to immigrants from designated countries.
Strong Opposition from Immigrant Rights Groups
Immigrant rights organizations have strongly opposed the move, noting that many affected individuals have lived in the U.S. for decades. Nepali citizens have been in the U.S. since the 2015 earthquake, while many Hondurans and Nicaraguans arrived after Hurricane Mitch in 1998.
The Trump administration has already terminated TPS for hundreds of thousands of immigrants from countries including Venezuela, Haiti, Ukraine, Afghanistan, and Cameroon. In May, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the decision to end TPS for Venezuelan nationals.
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