On Monday, February 9th, a federal appeals court allowed the Trump administration to proceed with ending deportation protections for approximately 60,000 migrants from Honduras, Nepal, and Nicaragua, lifting a lower court order that had blocked the policy.
The Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals issued a stay of a California judge’s order, concluding the government is likely to prevail in defending its decision to terminate Temporary Protected Status (TPS), for nationals of the three countries. The court determined the administration could demonstrate “legitimate” reasons for the move and that the decision-making process was not arbitrary or capricious under federal law.
The ruling affects roughly 50,000 Hondurans, 7,000 Nepalis and 3,000 Nicaraguans who were granted TPS after fleeing natural disasters and other crises. TPS allows eligible immigrants already in the United States to remain and work legally when conditions in their home countries prevent safe return.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem welcomed the decision, describing it as “a win for the rule of law and vindication for the US Constitution.” She asserted that TPS “was never designed to be permanent” and argued that previous administrations had used it as a “de facto amnesty program.” Noem added, “Given the improved situation in each of these countries, we are wisely concluding what was intended to be a temporary designation.”
Attorney General Pam Bondi praised the decision, calling it “a crucial legal win” that supports the administration’s broader immigration agenda. Representatives of the National TPS Alliance, which challenged the terminations, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
