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The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has announced the termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for approximately 76,000 migrants from Honduras and Nicaragua, as reported by Fox News. This decision affects about 54,000 Hondurans and 22,000 Nicaraguans residing in the United States.
TPS was initially granted to these countries in 1999 following natural disasters that made it unsafe for citizens to return home. However, Newsweek reports that the DHS now believes conditions have improved sufficiently to allow safe return. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem stated, "Temporary Protected Status was designed to be just that—temporary."
The termination follows similar actions by the Trump administration for other countries, including Venezuela and Haiti. While some of these terminations have faced legal challenges, the DHS is encouraging affected individuals to use the CBP One app for a secure departure, offering a complimentary plane ticket and a $1,000 exit bonus, according to Bloomberg Law.
The decision has sparked concern among immigration advocacy groups, who argue that returning migrants to their home countries could expose them to unsafe conditions. Despite these concerns, the DHS maintains that the decision restores integrity to the immigration system by ensuring TPS remains temporary.