During
the last 20 years, since the 1998 hurricane hit Honduras, the US government has
permitted thousands of immigrants from the country to live and work within the
US as opposed to forcing them to return to their own country.
What the Trump Administration is planning
While
the reprieve hasn’t been ended just yet, the department of Homeland Security,
under President Trump’s administration announced that it is unable to arrive at
a decision on whether they should extend the Temporary Protected Status (TPS)
for the 57,000 Hondurans currently residing in the United States.
What is the TPS?
Attorney
and legal analyst Karen DeSoto explains that the TPS program was created during
Ronald Reagan’s presidency with an aim to mend the gap in his immigration
policy. While the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 was signed, he
granted legal status to thousands of undocumented immigrants. However, this act
overlooked one group of people – those who entered the country without
authorization in 1982 or after.
What Next?
While
the decision on the Hondurans is still pending, DHS is terminating protection
for 2500 Nicaraguans currently in the US starting January 2019. Assuming that
they register with US Citizenship and Immigration Services, the Hondurans get
six more months protection while the current administration takes its time to
make a decision.
The
state department has also recommended that they push El Salvador and Haiti out
of the program over the next few months. These four countries put together
account for over 300,000 people legally residing in the United States.
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