About 50,000 immigrants from Honduras and Nicaragua, the majority of whom had resided and worked in the United States for more than 25 years, had their safeguards from deportation terminated by the Trump administration on Monday.
People from the two Central American countries who were permitted to remain in the United States following a devastating hurricane that struck the region in 1998 have had their temporary protective status withdrawn, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
As part of Trump’s major deportation strategy, which aims to boot up to 20 million undocumented immigrants, the drive means that immigration authorities may deport anyone who were previously covered by the status beginning in around two months.
Along with similar edicts that permitted huge populations of Venezuelans and Ukrainians, among other countries, TPS was previously withdrawn for over 500,000 Haitians who arrived in the United States following a devastating 2010 earthquake.
Approximately half of the 72,000 Hondurans and 4,000 Nicaraguans who were given the status have since been granted legal status to stay in the United States.
The humanitarian situation in the two countries has improved enough, according to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, that those who are currently protected by those temporary designations can go back to their homes.
The National TPS Alliance’s co-coordinator, Jose Palma, called the action ineffective.
According to Palma, the neighborhood has demonstrated all of its contributions to our nation. The situation is harsh.
Immigration groups, who last week obtained a court order postponing Trump’s withdrawal of TPS from Haitians for several months, are likely to contest the action in court.
After Hurricane Mitch in 1998, both nations were first given temporary safeguards in 1999. Both protections stayed in effect following litigation, despite an attempt by the first Trump administration to terminate them.
Antonio Garc, the deputy foreign affairs minister for Honduras, expressed dismay with the news, claiming it was made to appease Trump’s supporters’ anti-immigrant sentiment.
“That’s how they got to power, and they’re doing it for their voters,” he said.
