A United States appeals court has opened the way for the termination of legal protection for migrants from Honduras, Nepal, and Nicaragua, allowing the government to proceed with deportations.
Last year, the Trump administration decided to end the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) of thousands of Honduran, Nepali, and Nicaraguan citizens. Under TPS, these migrants were legally permitted to live and work in the United States.
Previously, a federal judge had blocked the administration’s decision. However, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled on Monday that the government can proceed with deportation processes even while the appeal of the previous order is ongoing. The court stated, “The prior order blocking the termination of TPS for Nepal, Honduras, and Nicaragua is stayed until the appeals process is complete.”
The TPS program provides temporary legal status to people who face risks if they return to their home countries due to war, natural disasters, or other extraordinary circumstances. Following Hurricane Mitch in 1998, over 51,000 Hondurans and around 3,000 Nicaraguans received TPS. After the 2015 Nepal earthquake, approximately 7,000 Nepali citizens were granted temporary protection under the program.
Historically, US presidents have repeatedly renewed TPS for such groups, protecting them from being undocumented or deported. However, former President Trump pledged a mass deportation campaign. On Monday, Secretary of Homeland Security Kristie Noem clarified that “TPS was never intended to be a permanent program.” The Department of Homeland Security stated that the decision to end TPS was based on improvements in the conditions of the affected countries, concluding that citizens can safely return home.
This article was originally published on https://bajarkochirfar.com. Translated with the help of AI and reviewed by our editorial team.
