Related Articles
-Editorial
A federal judge in California has blocked the Trump administration’s attempt to terminate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for approximately 60,000 immigrants from Honduras, Nicaragua, and Nepal, extending their protections through at least November 18, 2025.
In a ruling issued Thursday, U.S. District Judge Trina L. Thompson concluded that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) failed to conduct an objective evaluation of current conditions in the affected countries. The court cited ongoing political instability, incomplete disaster recovery, and the potential economic and humanitarian consequences of mass deportations as key factors in its decision.
TPS is a humanitarian program that allows certain foreign nationals to remain and work legally in the United States if returning to their countries would pose a danger due to conflict, environmental disaster, or other extraordinary conditions. The Trump administration had argued that the circumstances leading to the original designations—particularly the aftermath of Hurricane Mitch in 1998—no longer justified continued protection, and DHS Secretary Kristi Noem moved to end TPS for nationals of the three countries.
Judge Thompson found the administration’s decision-making process lacked impartial review and, in her written opinion, raised concerns about the role of racial bias in the decision. Her language comparing the TPS revocations to historical injustices such as the Atlantic slave trade drew sharp criticism from DHS officials, who accused the judge of politicizing the ruling.
In response, DHS issued a statement rejecting the ruling as “judicial activism” and asserting that TPS was never intended as a permanent solution.
Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said the department would appeal the decision, claiming the court had overstepped its constitutional authority.
“Restoring integrity to our immigration system to keep our homeland and its people safe. That is all we—and the American people who elected President Trump in a landslide election—seek,” said Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin. “TPS was never meant to be a de facto asylum system, yet that is how previous administrations have used it for decades. This is yet another example of how out-of-control judges are race-baiting to distract from the facts and the President’s constitutionally vested powers under Article II. We will appeal, and we expect a higher court to vindicate us.”
DHS also cited cases involving TPS beneficiaries with criminal convictions to argue that the system has been misused and is being realigned with its original purpose under the current administration.
The ruling comes amid increased congressional scrutiny of DHS policies. Lawmakers, including Representatives Seth Magaziner and Eric Swalwell, have raised concerns over a recent case involving the deportation of a Honduran mother and her two U.S. citizen children—one of whom was reportedly undergoing cancer treatment. In a letter to Secretary Noem, members of the House Homeland Security Committee questioned the legality of the removal, the denial of legal counsel, and the department’s claims that the mother had consented to the children’s deportation—an assertion disputed by the family’s attorney.
The court’s decision ensures continued protection for TPS holders from Honduras, Nicaragua, and Nepal while legal challenges proceed.