After more than two decades of humanitarian relief, the Trump administration has officially moved to terminate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for over 75,000 migrants from Honduras and Nicaragua. The decision, announced on July 7, 2025, by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, marks the end of a policy that had shielded tens of thousands from deportation since the aftermath of Hurricane Mitch in 1998.
The TPS designation was first granted in 1999 under the Clinton administration after Hurricane Mitch devastated large parts of Central America, killing thousands and displacing millions. Since then, the policy has been extended multiple times by the Bush, Obama, and Biden administrations. However, the Trump administration now argues that conditions in both countries have improved significantly and no longer meet the criteria required for continued TPS designation.
“Temporary Protected Status was designed to be just that — temporary,” Noem said during the announcement. “The time has come for these protections to end, as the original conditions justifying TPS are no longer present.”
According to the Congressional Research Service, approximately 72,000 Hondurans and 4,000 Nicaraguans currently reside in the U.S. under TPS. The program allows beneficiaries to live and work legally in the United States and provides access to Social Security numbers and certain taxpayer-funded benefits. TPS was initially intended to last only 18 months but has become a long-term form of legal presence due to repeated extensions, court battles, and shifting political climates.
Critics of the TPS program, including members of the Trump administration, have long argued that it evolved into a backdoor immigration system—one that effectively grants indefinite residence to migrants who were never meant to stay permanently. The administration has also targeted TPS designations for other countries, including Afghanistan, Venezuela, Cameroon, Nepal, and Haiti, affecting roughly 600,000 people.
The decision has been met with sharp criticism from immigrant rights groups, who argue that many TPS recipients have built lives, families, and careers in the U.S. over the past 26 years. They warn that ending the program will not only disrupt families but also damage the economies of countries that rely heavily on remittances from their citizens living abroad. In 2024, remittances made up 26% of Honduras’s GDP and 23% of Nicaragua’s—most of it sent from workers in the United States.
In an unexpected twist, the administration is offering a “voluntary exit incentive” for those affected. According to a statement from DHS, migrants who choose to self-deport using the CBP One mobile app will be provided with free taxpayer-funded plane tickets and a $1,000 payment upon departure.
The TPS terminations are set to take effect 60 days after formal publication in the Federal Register. Legal experts anticipate swift challenges in federal court, as similar attempts to terminate TPS during Trump’s first term were blocked by lawsuits and injunctions.
As the legal and political battle unfolds, the future of over 75,000 long-time U.S. residents from Central America hangs in the balance, highlighting the broader debate over immigration reform and the limits of temporary humanitarian protections.
