Trump’s DHS Ends ‘Temporary’ Amnesty for More than 75 Thousand Migrants from Honduras, Nicaragua

President Donald Trump’s Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is ending Temporary Protected Status (TPS), a quasi-amnesty program, for more than 75,000 migrants from Honduras and Nicaragua.

DHS Secretary Kristi Noem announced Monday that about 75,000 Honduran and Nicaraguan migrants living in the United States on TPS would have to return to their home countries.

TPS was first granted for Nicaragua after a natural disaster in 1999. Likewise, the federal government granted TPS for Honduras following Hurricane Mitch in 1998.

“Temporary Protected Status was designed to be just that — temporary,” Noem said.

About 72,000 Honduran nationals reside in the United States thanks to the decades-long TPS designation. DHS officials are encouraging Hondurans leaving the country to use the CBP Home mobile app, secure a complimentary plane ticket, and receive a $1,000 exit bonus.

“It is clear that the Government of Honduras has taken all of the necessary steps to overcome the impacts of Hurricane Mitch, almost 27 years ago,” Noem said:

Honduran citizens can safely return home, and DHS is here to help facilitate their voluntary return. {snip}

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