The Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Honduran and Nicaraguan citizens living in the United States is set to expire on July 5, 2025, according to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
Kristi Noem, Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), rescinded the termination of Honduras’ TPS designation, which was originally published on June 5, 2018 and extended the deadline by 18 months.
From January 6, 2024 until July 5 of this year, a subsequent extension allowed current beneficiaries to maintain their status, provided they met eligibility requirements. For Nicaraguan citizens, the period began on November 6, 2023.
Growing Concern for Thousands of Migrants in the U.S.
More than 55,000 Hondurans remain in uncertainty, unsure of what will happen when the TPS deadline arrives, including one man who has lived in the country for 27 years and has U.S.-born children.
He explained that the silence from the U.S. administration regarding the program’s extension has left them “overwhelmed,” as most TPS beneficiaries depend on it. He also lamented that he has been unable to regularize his immigration status because “there are some pending issues” he needs to resolve.
“This time, we need the TPS to be active to complete the paperwork,” he stated.
Cecilia Rodríguez, president of the Honduran Alliance of Los Angeles, said that some TPS workers have already been told by their employers that “if the TPS isn’t extended by July 5,” they will lose their source of income.
“Employers are afraid of being fined for hiring undocumented workers,” Rodríguez added.
This program allows individuals who cannot return to their home countries due to various issues—with safety being one of the most common—to avoid removal from the U.S., obtain an Employment Authorization Document (EAD), and be granted travel authorization.
Which Countries Still Have TPS
Once granted TPS, these citizens also cannot be detained by DHS agents based on their immigration status in the country. As a temporary benefit, it does not provide legal permanent residency or any other immigration status, though it does not prevent applying for a status adjustment based on a petition or any other benefit for which they may be eligible.
“To be granted any other immigration benefit, you must meet all eligibility requirements for that particular benefit. A TPS application does not affect an asylum application or any other immigration benefit, and vice versa,” USCIS officials stated.
As of the time of this report, the countries designated for TPS are:
- Afghanistan.
- Burma (Myanmar).
- Cameroon.
- El Salvador.
- Ethiopia.
- Haiti.
- Honduras.
- Lebanon.
- Nepal.
- Nicaragua.
- Somalia.
- South Sudan.
- Sudan.
- Syria.
- Ukraine.
- Venezuela.
- Yemen.
For Venezuela, information available on the USCIS website indicates that the deadline is set until September 10, 2025, and all beneficiaries who received TPS-related documentation on or before February 5, 2025, with a validity date of October 2, 2026, will maintain their status and documentation until the litigation National TPS Alliance, et al., v. Kristi Noem et al. is resolved.
Image: Infobae
