Trump to End Protected Status for Nicaraguans

FEATURING AMANDA BARAN – Donald Trump’s administration has decided to end the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for nationals of Nicaragua living in the US. About 2,500 migrants from the Central American nation have lived in the US for decades when they were granted TPS in the wake of the devastating Hurricane Mitch in 1999.

Homeland Security Acting Secretary Elaine Duke made the announcement on Monday saying that she, “determined that those substantial but temporary conditions caused in Nicaragua by Hurricane Mitch no longer exist, and thus, under the applicable statute, the current TPS designation must be terminated.” She also cited the fact that there was, “no request made by the Nicaraguan government to extend the current TPS status.”

Thousands of Hondurans, Haitians, and other immigrants with TPS status are anxiously waiting to find out if DHS will extend their protections or not.

Trump’s new nominee to head Homeland Security is his current deputy White House Chief of Staff, Kirstjen Nielsen who is appearing before the Senate Homeland Security Committee this week for her confirmation hearings.

To read the report visit www.ilrc.org.

Amanda Baran, Policy Consultant at the Immigrant Legal Resource Center and co-author of ILRC’s report Economic Contributions by Salvadoran, Honduran and Haitian TPS Holders, which was published earlier this year.