The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is set to end deportation protections for thousands of Hondurans and Nicaraguans residing in the United States, as part of a wider initiative by the Trump administration to revoke legal status from certain migrant groups.
Effective September 6, Temporary Protected Status (TPS) will be terminated for approximately 72,000 Hondurans and 4,000 Nicaraguans who have held this status since 1999. TPS has allowed these individuals to live and work legally in the U.S. following natural disasters or conflicts in their home countries.
This move follows previous actions to end TPS for hundreds of thousands of migrants from countries including Venezuela, Haiti, Afghanistan, and Cameroon. Officials argue that deportation protections have been overextended and many beneficiaries no longer qualify. However, critics warn that ending TPS could force vulnerable people to return to dangerous conditions and disrupt U.S. businesses that rely on their labor.
The original TPS designation for Honduras and Nicaragua was based on the devastation caused by Hurricane Mitch in 1998, which resulted in widespread damage and thousands of deaths. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem cited improvements in both countries, such as growth in tourism, real estate, and renewable energy sectors, to justify ending the protections, emphasizing that TPS was always intended to be temporary.
The Biden administration had renewed TPS for these nations in 2023, highlighting ongoing challenges including political instability, economic hardship, and storm-related damage. Meanwhile, U.S. travel advisories caution against trips to Honduras and Nicaragua due to crime and risks such as wrongful detention and limited medical care.
In Honduras, a state of emergency declared in 2022 permits authorities to suspend constitutional rights in many areas, and the United Nations has criticized recent constitutional changes in Nicaragua that increase presidential powers amid concerns over repression.
Honduran Deputy Foreign Minister Antonio Garcia said the decision reflects a broader effort to end TPS protections rather than a specific targeting of his country. Recent court rulings have allowed the administration to proceed with ending TPS for Venezuelans, but legal challenges continue regarding protections for Haitians.
