What Happened?

More than one million people living in the U.S. lost a key form of immigration protection this year. Temporary Protected Status (TPS), a program Congress created in 1990 to shield people from countries torn by war, natural disasters, or other crises, has been terminated for 13 of the 17 countries that held it when President Trump took office in January 2025. [](#ngr-664e3eb9-464a-4896-89ed-5db9e76f8f18)

A new analysis by the Congressional Research Service (CRS), the nonpartisan research arm of Congress, tracked the changes through Sept. 10, 2026. When TPS ends for a country, nationals from that country lose both their protection from deportation and their authorization to work legally in the U.S.

Why Does it Matter to Me?

The CRS analysis listed the following beneficiary counts for countries where TPS has been terminated:

  • Venezuela (combined 2021 and 2023 designations): 627,750 people
  • Haiti: 353,160 people
  • Honduras: 70,070 people
  • Afghanistan: 11,740 people
  • Nepal: 12,160 people
  • Syria: 6,100 people
  • Cameroon: 5,460 people
  • Ethiopia: 5,010 people
  • Burma: 3,970 people
  • Nicaragua: 3,850 people
  • Yemen: 2,810 people
  • Somalia: 1,080 people
  • South Sudan: 230 people

For each of those people, losing TPS means losing the legal right to stay and work. It does not automatically mean immediate deportation, but it removes the formal protection that made their presence in the country lawful.

Both Sides, Now

The CRS analysis frames the core question as one of process: how much of TPS's future gets decided by executive action versus new legislation from Congress. The Secretary of Homeland Security has the authority under current law to designate, extend, or terminate a country's status based on conditions on the ground. The Trump administration has used that authority to end protections for 13 countries, citing determinations that those countries no longer meet the conditions required.

Supporters of the terminations argue the law requires ending TPS when a country no longer qualifies, and that the executive branch is following the statute as written. Critics argue the conditions in many of the affected countries remain dangerous and that the terminations put vulnerable people at risk.

Congress has the power to change the TPS statute or to pass legislation protecting specific groups, but it has not done so.

What Happens Next?

Four countries still hold active TPS designations, and their expiration dates are approaching fast. Sudan and Ukraine are set to expire Oct. 19. Lebanon's designation runs through Nov. 27. El Salvador's designation was set to expire Sept. 9, but as of Sept. 10, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services had not announced a termination or extension, meaning Salvadorans covered by TPS retained their protections temporarily while awaiting an official announcement.

For each of those four countries, the Secretary of Homeland Security must decide whether to extend or terminate. Congress could also act to change the program's rules, but no legislation is currently scheduled for a vote.

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This article was generated by AI pulling from data. Each article is edited by an editor for accuracy and clarity.

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