❓WHAT HAPPENED: The Trump administration is ending Temporary Protected Status for immigrants from Nicaragua and Honduras, paving the way for tens of thousands of deportations.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Department of Homeland Security (DHS), migrants from Nicaragua and Honduras, and pro-immigration organizations.
📍WHEN & WHERE: July 2025; United States.
💬KEY QUOTE: “Temporary Protected Status, as the name itself makes clear, is an inherently temporary status.” – Department of Homeland Security
🎯IMPACT: Migrants from Nicaragua and Honduras lose legal work authorization and face deportation; however, lawfare cases attempting to frustrate this are near-certain.
The Trump administration has moved to end more than 25 years of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for immigrants from Nicaragua and Honduras. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced the change in the Federal Register, saying the protections officially lapsed as of July 5. A 60-day transition period is now in effect before termination becomes final.
Originally granted following natural disasters in the late 1990s, TPS for these countries has been repeatedly extended by multiple administrations. The status provides work authorization and protection from deportation, but does not offer a path to permanent residency. Around 50,000 migrants are estimated to be impacted.
During the first Trump administration, DHS tried to cancel these designations but was bogged down by lawfare suits. The Joe Biden government extended the status again after rescinding those terminations. Now, the Trump administration has reasserted its position, citing the program’s “temporary” nature and arguing that original conditions no longer justify continued protection.
“Temporary Protected Status, as the name itself makes clear, is an inherently temporary status,” the DHS explained.
The move follows the termination of TPS for around half a million Haitians in June—although, as with that decision, following through on deporting formerly TPS-designated Hondurans and Nicaraguans will likely face a protracted lawfare campaign.
Join Pulse+ to comment below, and receive exclusive e-mail analyses.