Appeals Court Allows Trump Administration to End Migrant Protections

SAN FRANCISCO — In a significant legal victory for the Trump administration, a federal appeals court has temporarily halted a lower court’s order that had protected approximately 60,000 migrants from deportation. The ruling, issued by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, allows the government to move forward with ending Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for individuals from Honduras, Nicaragua, and Nepal.

The decision directly impacts roughly 7,000 Nepalese whose TPS designations expired on August 5, as well as 51,000 Hondurans and 3,000 Nicaraguans whose protections are set to expire on September 8. TPS provides a temporary reprieve from deportation and work authorization to nationals of countries facing armed conflict or natural disasters.

The administration has argued that conditions in these countries no longer warrant the protections, a stance that has been challenged by immigrant advocates who claim the decision is politically motivated. A district court judge had previously blocked the termination, citing a lack of "objective review of the country conditions" and suggesting the decision was "motivated by racial animus."

However, the three-judge appeals court panel, composed of appointees from both Democratic and Republican administrations, granted the emergency stay pending a final appeal. This means the administration's policy can be implemented while the broader legal battle continues. The next hearing in the case is scheduled for November 18. This legal development is part of a larger effort by the administration to tighten immigration policies and increase deportations. The Trump administration can move forward with ending temporary protections for around 60,000 immigrants.