The Trump view on TPS and what is Means for the Hondurans

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.