Trump administration to end protections for Nicaraguan migrants
Nicaraguan migrants who have had temporary protected status in the United States will be subject to deportation starting in January 2019, the Trump administration announced Monday.
There are 325,000 people living in the United States under temporary protected status, meaning they cannot be detained by immigration agents, can travel outside the country with permission, and can obtain work permits. They come from 10 countries, including Nicaragua, Honduras, and Haiti, and are fleeing natural disasters, conflict, drugs, and gang violence. A senior Homeland Security Department official told the Los Angeles Times the department's acting secretary, Elaine Duke, has decided things are better now in Nicaragua, and migrants can start going back. She needs more information on Honduras, though, and extended the temporary protected status for Hondurans through July 5.
There are more than 5,000 Nicaraguans under temporary protected status in the U.S. and 86,000 Hondurans, and the administration had until Monday to decide whether to extend their protections. Some of the migrants have lived in the U.S. for up to 20 years, and the senior official told the Times the administration would support Congress if lawmakers ever came up with a permanent solution that let protected migrants stay in the U.S.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
The six-seven meme that has taken over the worldIn the Spotlight With roots in rap and basketball, the phrase has young people obsessed, and it could be here to stay
-
Five takeaways from Plaid Cymru’s historic Caerphilly by-election winThe Explainer The ‘big beasts’ were ‘humbled’ but there was disappointment for second-placed Reform too
-
A journey through Trinidad’s wild heartThe Week Recommends Experience the island’s natural wonders, from watching baby turtles hatch to visiting an ancient bat cave
-
NY attorney general asks public for ICE raid footageSpeed Read Rep. Dan Goldman claims ICE wrongly detained four US citizens in the Canal Street raid and held them for a whole day without charges
-
Trump’s huge ballroom to replace razed East WingSpeed Read The White House’s east wing is being torn down amid ballroom construction
-
Trump expands boat strikes to Pacific, killing 5 moreSpeed Read The US military destroyed two more alleged drug smuggling boats in international waters
-
Whistles emerge as Chicago’s tool to fight ICEIN THE SPOTLIGHT As federal agents continue raiding the city, communities have turned to noisemakers to create a warning system
-
Trump demands millions from his administrationSpeed Read The president has requested $230 million in compensation from the Justice Department for previous federal investigations
-
Trump nominee in limbo after racist texts leakSpeed Read Paul Ingrassia lost Republican support following the exposure of past racist text messages
-
Trump begins East Wing demolition for ballroomspeed read The president’s new construction will cost $250 million
-
Appeals court clears Trump’s Portland troop deploymentSpeed Read A divided federal appeals court ruled that President Trump can send the National Guard to Portland
