Threat of Deportation Leaves 8,000 Nepalis in Fear as Trump Vows to End TPS

US presidential candidate Donald Trump has pledged to revoke Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for immigrants, which has raised alarm among approximately 8,000 Nepalis currently under this protection. In a recent interview with NewsNation, Trump stated his intention to deport not only undocumented immigrants but also those covered by TPS.

During his presidency, Trump attempted to end TPS for immigrants from several countries, including El Salvador, Haiti, Nicaragua, Sudan, Nepal, and Honduras. However, this attempt faced legal challenges, and TPS remained intact due to ongoing court battles. Ultimately, the Biden administration announced an extension of TPS, maintaining the legal status of affected immigrants.

TPS holders filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration’s attempts to terminate TPS for around 400,000 individuals, including Nepalis. The plaintiffs achieved a preliminary injunction in 2018, preserving the legal status of all TPS holders for five years. In 2023, however, a full bench of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals overturned this injunction.

Keshav Raj Bhattarai and Sajjan Pandey served as the primary plaintiffs representing Nepal in this case. In June 2023, the Biden administration reversed the previous administration’s decision to revoke TPS, extending it for nearly 300,000 people from El Salvador, Honduras, Nepal, and Nicaragua. Prior to this, the Biden administration had also redesigned TPS for Haiti and Sudan.

On December 28, 2023, the Federal District Court dismissed the Ramos case, concluding that the Biden administration had fulfilled the plaintiffs’ request by extending the TPS deadline. As a result, the Biden administration extended TPS for Nepalis until June 24, 2025.

The Department of Homeland Security also reversed the previous administration’s decision to cancel TPS for El Salvador, Honduras, and Nicaragua, announcing an 18-month extension from December 25, 2023. Previously, TPS documents had been automatically extended until June 30, 2024, but the TPS status itself had not been extended.

Temporary Protected Status was granted to Nepalis in the United States following the devastating earthquake in Nepal, allowing those who entered the US after June 24, 2015, to apply. Approximately 15,000 Nepalis applied for TPS, with around 8,000 still maintaining this status.

One Nepali TPS holder, wishing to remain anonymous, expressed their fears, stating, “The thought of losing TPS is terrifying. This status has given us stability and the chance to build our lives here. I just want to be able to continue living in peace without the constant worry of deportation.”