Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) gave an update after the Trump administration moved this week to end over 25 years of protections for immigrants from Nicaragua and Honduras.
In a post on X, formerly Twitter, the federal agency signaled that the decision would not be walked back.
Newsweek has contacted the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for comment.
Why It Matters
Since President Donald Trump returned to the White House in January, his administration has moved swiftly to roll back several Temporary Protected Status (TPS) designations. The policy shift has drawn sharp criticism from immigration advocacy groups, who warn that ending these protections could result in deportations to countries that could be unsafe.
It’s part of a wider push by the president to carry out mass deportations of immigrants.
What To Know
A foreign country may be designated by the secretary of Homeland Security for TPS due to “conditions in the country that temporarily prevent the country’s nationals from returning safely, or in certain circumstances, where the country is unable to handle the return of its nationals adequately,” a U.S. government website states.
ICE issued a reminder on social media that TPS is not intended to be a permanent designation.
“It should be obvious, but Temporary Protected Status is a TEMPORARY designation,” a post on X on Wednesday said. “The Secretary of Homeland Security is tasked with designating — and UN-designating — a foreign country for TPS.”
It should be obvious, but Temporary Protected Status is a TEMPORARY designation.The Secretary of Homeland Security is tasked with designating — and UN-designating — a foreign country for TPS. https://t.co/88CeEQPrd5
— U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (@ICEgov) July 9, 2025
The statement comes after DHS announced Monday morning that it was allowing TPS designations for nationals of Honduras and Nicaragua to lapse on July 5, a move which affects nearly 80,000 people.
These designations, initially granted following environmental disasters in Central America in 1999, have allowed tens of thousands of individuals to live and work legally in the U.S. for over two decades.
The protections are typically valid for 18 months at a time and have been extended by consecutive administrations since they were first issued. Legal challenges meant Trump was unsuccessful in his first term as president in terminating TPS for Nicaragua and Honduras.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said this week that the situation in both countries had improved enough since 1999 and argued that those with TPS no longer required the protections.
The Trump administration has already moved to revoke TPS for some immigrants from Venezuela, Haiti, Ukraine, Afghanistan, Nepal and Cameroon. Some lawsuits have been filed in response to the decisions.
What People Are Saying
The DHS, in its Federal Register notice on Honduras: “Temporary Protected Status, as the name itself makes clear, is an inherently temporary status. TPS designations are time-limited and must be periodically reviewed.”
A DHS spokesperson, on terminating TPS for Nicaragua: “Temporary Protected Status was never meant to last a quarter of a century. The impacts of a natural disaster impacting Nicaragua in 1999 no longer exist.
“The environmental situation has improved enough that it is safe enough for Nicaraguan citizens to return home. This decision restores integrity in our immigration system and ensures that TPS remains temporary.”
What Happens Next
TPS for Nicaragua and Honduras expired on July 5. A Federal Register notice published Monday notes that the designation would be terminated after 60 days.
The post ICE Gives Update on Ending Migrant Protections appeared first on Newsweek.
