The Trump administration announced Monday it will revoke Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for approximately 72,000 Hondurans and 4,000 Nicaraguans, stripping deportation protections and work permits from long-term U.S. residents. The policy shift, set to take effect September 6, marks the latest escalation in President Donald Trump’s broader campaign to dismantle humanitarian immigration programs.
Why Trump Is Ending TPS for Honduras and Nicaragua
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) justified the termination by asserting that both Central American nations have sufficiently recovered from Hurricane Mitch, the 1998 disaster that originally triggered their TPS designation. DHS Secretary Kristi Noem cited Honduras’ real estate growth and Nicaragua’s renewable energy sector as evidence of stability—a claim immigrant advocates vehemently dispute.
TPS beneficiaries from Honduras and Nicaragua, many of whom have lived legally in the U.S. since 1999, now face deportation to countries still grappling with gang violence, political unrest, and economic collapse. Democrats and human rights groups warn the move could force families into life-threatening conditions while destabilizing U.S. industries reliant on their labor.
This decision aligns with the administration’s systematic termination of TPS for over 900,000 migrants, including 348,000 Venezuelans and 521,000 Haitians. While the Supreme Court recently allowed the Venezuela TPS termination to proceed, a federal judge temporarily blocked the Haiti order last week, highlighting ongoing legal battles over Trump’s immigration agenda.
Legal Challenges and What Comes Next
The Honduran and Nicaraguan TPS terminations mirror Trump’s 2017–2021 efforts to end the program, which were stalled by litigation. Advocates are preparing fresh lawsuits, arguing DHS ignored evidence of persistent violence and climate disasters in Central America. With September’s deadline looming, Congress faces mounting pressure to legislate permanent protections for long-term TPS holders.
