TPS Extended for Thousands Amid Trump Deportation Push \ Newslooks \ Washington DC \ Mary Sidiqi \ Evening Edition \ A federal judge has extended Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for 60,000 immigrants from Nepal, Honduras, and Nicaragua. The Trump administration sought to end these protections as part of its broader immigration crackdown. The ruling criticizes the administration for racial bias and economic harm if deportations proceed.
Quick Looks
- U.S. judge extends TPS for Nepalese, Hondurans, and Nicaraguans amid legal challenge.
- Trump administration planned to end protections for 60,000 immigrants this summer.
- Judge Trina L. Thompson slams decision as lacking objective country condition review.
- Termination would cost U.S. economy $1.4 billion, risk family separation, and loss of jobs.
- TPS protects migrants from deportation due to disasters, instability, or persecution.
- Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem cited recovery from 1998 Hurricane Mitch.
- Plaintiffs argue Trump and Noem acted with racial animus and political motives.
- Thompson: administration promoted belief certain immigrants “will replace the white population.”
- Honduras praised the ruling; Nicaragua faces widespread political repression.
- Other TPS terminations under Trump include protections for Haitians, Ukrainians, and Venezuelans.
Deep Look
In a major setback for President Donald Trump’s immigration agenda, a federal judge in California has ordered Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to remain in place for over 60,000 immigrants from Nepal, Honduras, and Nicaragua, halting the administration’s efforts to rescind those protections. The ruling, issued Thursday by U.S. District Judge Trina L. Thompson in San Francisco, ensures the protections will continue while the lawsuit proceeds, with the next hearing set for November 18.
The Trump administration, under the leadership of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, had moved to end TPS designations for these countries, claiming that conditions in their homelands had improved. But Judge Thompson called the administration’s actions deeply flawed, lacking a proper review of the ongoing dangers these migrants would face if deported.
TPS is a humanitarian immigration designation granted by the Department of Homeland Security to individuals from nations plagued by natural disasters, political unrest, or extreme violence. It allows recipients to live and work legally in the United States. While the status is not intended to be permanent, it has been repeatedly renewed for some nationalities over decades due to persistent instability.
Noem had justified ending TPS for Hondurans and Nicaraguans by arguing their countries had recovered from 1998’s Hurricane Mitch. The administration also planned to terminate protection for approximately 7,000 Nepalese nationals as of August 5 and for nearly 54,000 Honduran and Nicaraguan nationals by September 8.
But Thompson rejected these justifications, stating the decision lacked an “objective review of country conditions,” including continued political violence in Honduras, and hurricanes and repression in Nicaragua.
“The freedom to live fearlessly, the opportunity of liberty, and the American dream. That is all Plaintiffs seek. Instead, they are told to atone for their race, leave because of their names, and purify their blood,” Thompson wrote in a powerful rebuke of the administration’s motivations.
The court found compelling evidence that political ideology and racial animus played a role in the decision to end TPS. Statements made by President Trump and Secretary Noem, according to the ruling, perpetuated a narrative that certain immigrant groups were a threat to the racial makeup of the U.S.
“Color is neither a poison nor a crime,” Judge Thompson added.
The lawsuit, led by the National TPS Alliance, alleged that the administration’s decision was predetermined and aligned with Trump’s campaign promise to slash immigration, regardless of humanitarian consequence.
Attorney Ahilan Arulanantham, representing the plaintiffs, said the immigrants were given just two months to leave the U.S., far less than the typical one-year departure window provided under TPS terminations.
“It’s awful,” he told the court earlier this week.
Reactions from Affected Nations
The decision was praised by Honduras’ Foreign Minister, Javier Bu Soto, who posted on social media platform X that the ruling was “good news” for thousands of Hondurans living in the U.S.
“The decision recognizes that the petitioners are looking to exercise their right to live in freedom and without fear while the litigation plays out,” Bu Soto wrote. He confirmed continued support through Honduras’ U.S. consular network.
In contrast, Nicaragua remains gripped by authoritarian rule. President Daniel Ortega and Vice President Rosario Murillo have eliminated political opposition, shuttered civil society organizations, and silenced dissent. In February, a panel of United Nations experts declared that Nicaragua had “systematically dismantled” democratic institutions and committed widespread human rights violations to maintain total control.
Given those conditions, critics argue it is unsafe to repatriate Nicaraguan nationals who have lived in the U.S. for decades under TPS.
Broader Context: Trump’s Push to Rescind TPS Nationwide
Thursday’s decision is part of a larger legal fight surrounding the Trump administration’s ongoing attempts to rescind TPS protections across multiple countries. Under Trump, the Department of Homeland Security has terminated or announced the end of TPS for approximately:
- 350,000 Venezuelans
- 500,000 Haitians
- 160,000 Ukrainians
- Thousands of nationals from Afghanistan and Cameroon
Several of these terminations are currently being challenged in federal courts.
The Justice Department, defending the administration, argues that Secretary Noem is within her legal authority to determine TPS eligibility and that the designations are meant to be temporary, not indefinite.
“It is not meant to be permanent,” said DOJ attorney William Weiland. “Secretary Noem’s decisions reflect the administration’s broader goals in immigration and foreign policy.”
Still, Thursday’s ruling represents a major victory for immigrant advocates and TPS holders, delaying what many feared would be mass deportations of long-standing residents, workers, and families who have built lives in the U.S.
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