What is Temporary Protected Status — why is it under threat from Trump's crackdown?

Mint

21-05-2025

US Immigration Crackdown: The future of hundreds of thousands of immigrants living in the United States under temporary legal protection hangs in the balance, as the Donald Trump administration intensifies its immigration crackdown. Recent actions have specifically targeted individuals with Temporary Protected Status (TPS), a designation granted to those unable to return to their home countries due to extraordinary circumstances such as armed conflict or natural disasters.
The administration's decision to end TPS for Venezuelans, Haitians, Afghans, and Cameroonians has drawn sharp criticism.
Concerns have been raised about the potential forced return of over 9,000 Afghan refugees to Taliban-ruled Afghanistan and the displacement of approximately half a million Haitians.
TPS allows eligible individuals to reside and work legally in the US for up to 18 months, with the possibility of repeated renewals. Critics argue that these renewals have become virtually automatic, regardless of conditions in the immigrants' home countries.
Legal challenges surrounding these policies have reached the Supreme Court, which recently permitted the Trump administration to terminate protections for Venezuelans that had been previously granted by the Biden administration.
This ruling lifted a lower court decision that had temporarily paused the administration's plans, placing TPS holders at immediate risk of losing their protected status and facing potential deportation.
Beyond TPS, other forms of humanitarian relief are under threat. The Trump administration has moved to end humanitarian parole for over half a million people from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela.
Humanitarian parole allows individuals to enter the US temporarily based on urgent humanitarian needs.
Although a federal judge initially blocked the termination of this programme, the administration has appealed to the Supreme Court, seeking to end parole for immigrants from these four countries. The case is now returning to the lower courts.
These policy shifts have sparked widespread debate about the economic and social impact of ending temporary immigration protections.
The American Immigration Council estimates that TPS households earned over $10 billion in total income in 2021 and paid nearly $1.3 billion in federal taxes, highlighting their significant contributions to the US economy.
As legal battles continue and policy changes unfold, the future remains uncertain for millions of immigrants and the communities they support.