DHS terminates temporary protected status for around 76K Honduran, Nicaraguan migrants

The Department of Homeland Security is moving to end temporary protected status (TPS) for Honduran and Nicaraguan migrants living in the U.S. today as the Trump administration continues to ramp up deportations across the country.

The decision to end TPS for the two nations comes weeks after DHS terminated the same status for Haiti and months after terminating TPS for Venezuelans. A federal judge has since blocked that termination amid an ongoing legal battle.

"Temporary Protected Status was designed to be just that—temporary," Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem told Fox News Digital. "It is clear that the Government of Honduras has taken all of the necessary steps to overcome the impacts of Hurricane Mitch, almost 27 years ago."

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"Honduran citizens can safely return home, and DHS is here to help facilitate their voluntary return," Noem said. "Honduras has been a wonderful partner of the Trump Administration, helping us deliver on key promises to the American people.  We look forward to continuing our work with them."

A source at DHS told Fox News Digital that revoking TPS will affect roughly 76,000 migrants currently living in the U.S., with 54,000 from Honduras and 22,000 from Nicaragua.

"The impacts of a natural disaster impacting Nicaragua in 1999 no longer exist," a DHS spokesperson told Fox News Digital. "The environmental situation has improved enough that it is safe enough for Nicaraguan citizens to return home. This decision restores integrity in our immigration system and ensures that TPS remains temporary."

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In May, the U.S. Supreme Court sided with the Trump administration in a ruling that lifted a San Francisco District Court Judge's injunction that temporarily blocked the termination of TPS for Venezuelans, paving the way for the administration to legally revoke TPS for subsequent nations.

DHS sources have informed Fox that Nicaraguans and Hondurans in the U.S. with TPS are being encouraged to use the CBP One app to facilitate a secure departure, including a complimentary plane ticket and a $1,000 exit bonus.

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Created by Congress through the Immigration Act of 1990, TPS allows individuals from countries affected by natural disasters, war, or other dangerous, unusual circumstances to seek refuge in the U.S. This program can be renewed in 18-month increments.