White House Reaffirms TPS as Temporary, Ends Protections for Hondurans and Nicaraguans After 26 Years

Washington D.C. – White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt announced today that the Department of Homeland Security is moving to terminate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for migrants from Honduras and Nicaragua. The decision underscores the administration's stance that TPS is inherently temporary and not intended to be a permanent pathway to residency or citizenship in the United States.

“Temporary Protected Status — is temporary, by definition. It is not meant to be a permanent path to residency or citizenship here in the United States of America,” Leavitt stated, directly addressing the policy shift.

Temporary Protected Status was established by the U.S. Congress in the Immigration Act of 1990 to provide humanitarian relief to individuals from countries experiencing armed conflict, environmental disasters, or other extraordinary conditions that prevent their safe return. While designed as a temporary measure, many TPS designations have been extended repeatedly, sometimes for decades, leading to a prolonged presence for beneficiaries in the U.S.

The TPS designation for Nicaraguans was originally granted in 1999 following a natural disaster, and for Hondurans in 1999 after the impact of Hurricane Mitch in 1998. These designations have been continuously renewed, meaning some beneficiaries have resided in the U.S. under TPS for 26 years. The current administration views these extended protections as an “abuse” of the program's original intent.

The termination of these long-standing protections will impact thousands of individuals, who will revert to their previous immigration status, potentially facing deportation if they do not have other legal avenues to remain in the country. The administration emphasized that while legal pathways to immigration exist, TPS was never designed to be one of them. The move aligns with the administration's broader immigration agenda focused on stricter border enforcement and increased deportations.