Monday’s decision is the latest in several temporary protected status revocations issued by the Trump administration in recent weeks.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced on Monday that it is ending protections for illegal immigrants from Nicaragua and Honduras, coming days after a similar announcement for Venezuela.
In a statement, DHS said that the temporary protected status (TPS) for Nicaragua “was never meant to last 25 years,” noting that the status was initiated after a natural disaster in 1999 that impacted the Central American country.
“The environmental situation has improved enough that it is safe enough for Nicaraguan citizens to return home. This decision restores integrity in our immigration system and ensures that TPS remains temporary,” a DHS spokesperson said in a statement.
A similar comment was made by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem for Honduras, noting that TPS for Honduras was issued that same year in the aftermath of Hurricane Mitch.
“Temporary Protected Status was designed to be just that—temporary,” Noem said in a statement. “It is clear that the Government of Honduras has taken all of the necessary steps to overcome the impacts of Hurricane Mitch, almost 27 years ago.”
Noem added that citizens of Honduras can “safely return home, and DHS is here to help facilitate their voluntary return,” adding that the Central American nation “has been a wonderful partner of the Trump Administration, helping us deliver on key promises to the American people” and that “we look forward to continuing our work with them.”
For Honduras and Nicaragua, the TPS termination will be effective starting 60 days after DHS published its notices in the Federal Register for both on Monday. The agency has estimated that about 72,000 Hondurans and 4,000 Nicaraguans fall under the TPS designation.
For nationals of both countries who are in the United States illegally, DHS recommended that they use the CBP Home app to report their departure from the country, obtain a plane ticket home, receive a $1,000 federal exit bonus, and preserve options to legally migrate back to the United States in the future, according to statements issued by the agency.
