Immigrants come to the United States for various reasons, including vacation, education or employment. For some, relocating to the United States means the ability to start a new life free from persecution or hardships due to natural disasters. While some foreign nationals seek refuge by seeking asylum, other obtain refuge a Temporary Protected Status, or a TPS, that is issued to help protect individuals from specific countries.
According to recent reports, the Trump administration has decided to cancel the TPS for Hondurans in the United States. This decision is impacting roughly 57,000 Hondurans currently in America, 7,800 of them residing in Florida. Because of this cancellation, now tens of thousands of Hondurans will be at risk of deportation.
Back in 1990, the TPS program began with the intent to protect immigrants from 10 countries that were impacted by either armed conflict or natural disasters. Then, in 1998, tens of thousands of immigrants from Honduras sought refuge in the United States following Hurricane Mitch, which left more than 10,000 dead. These individuals were granted temporary protection.
This news of cancellation for TPS for Hondurans occurred after the Trump administration ended the TPS for 200,000 Salvadorans, 45,000 Haitians, 2,500 Haitians, 2,500 Nicaraguans and 9,000 Nepalis. Currently, these Hondurans have 18 months to seek another form of legal status in the United States. Otherwise, they must return to their home country. If status is not adjusted by this time or they have not relocated back to Honduras, they face deportation.
Immigrants affected by these changes need to determine what options they have to remain in the United States. By obtaining legal guidance, they may be able to obtain a clearer picture of their situation and solutions to their problems.
Source: Miami Herald, “Hondurans in South Florida ‘hopeless’ after Trump administration ends immigration protection TPS,” Brenda Medina, May 4, 2018
