Homeland Security Ends TPS for 80,000 Hondurans, Nicaraguans After 25 Years

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security, under Secretary Kristi Noem, has announced the termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Honduran and Nicaraguan migrants, effective 60 days after the Federal Register notice. TPS was originally granted to these migrants following devastating natural disasters—Hurricane Mitch in 1998 for Honduras and a 1999 natural disaster for Nicaragua—to allow them safe residence and work permits in the U.S. Noem stated that conditions in Honduras and Nicaragua have improved sufficiently to warrant ending the temporary protections, enabling migrants to return home. This decision affects approximately 72,000 Hondurans and 4,000 Nicaraguans, although advocacy groups estimate that fewer Hondurans will be impacted due to legal residency obtained through other means. Honduran migrants in the U.S., including those in New Orleans who have built lives and careers under TPS, express deep concern about losing their legal status and the potential impact on their futures. The move is part of a broader administration effort to reduce protections and increase deportations of immigrants living in the U.S.