Lawsuit Challenges Trump Administration’s Termination of TPS for Honduras, Nepal, and Nicaragua

The National TPS Alliance (NTPSA), alongside seven individual plaintiffs, filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration, contesting the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) decision to terminate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for nationals of Honduras, Nepal, and Nicaragua.

The terminations, affecting approximately 60,000 TPS holders, have significant implications. These individuals have lived in the United States for up to 26 years (Honduras and Nicaragua) and 10 years (Nepal). The announcements were made recently: Honduras and Nicaragua on July 8, 2025, following the expiration of prior TPS extensions, and Nepal on June 6, 2025.

The lawsuit alleges violations of the Administrative Procedure Act (APA), constitutional breaches due to racial animus, and the failure to provide an adequate transition period. Under these decisions, Honduran and Nicaraguan TPS holders will lose their legal status and work authorization within 60 days, while Nepali TPS holders face the same fate by August 5, 2025.

Among the plaintiffs is Jhony Silva, a Honduran TPS holder who arrived in the U.S. at age three. A hospital caregiver for cardiac patients, Silva expressed devastation, stating, “I’ve been doing it the ‘right way’ the whole time. Now, I am facing losing my job, the ability to care for my family, and the only home I’ve ever known.”

Similarly, S.K., a 33-year-old Nepali TPS holder living in San Francisco, faces profound disruption. Engaged to a U.S. citizen and working in theater, S.K. had planned to study data science but was forced to abandon her educational aspirations due to the TPS termination.

Sandhya Lama, another plaintiff, is a 43-year-old Nepali TPS holder residing in Virginia. As the sole provider for her three U.S. citizen children—one requiring specialized medical treatment—Lama faces dire consequences. Her children, who have never been to Nepal, rely entirely on her income and stability in the U.S.

The lawsuit argues that the terminations stem from a predetermined political agenda to dismantle TPS, disregarding statutory obligations to assess country conditions in Honduras, Nepal, and Nicaragua, where ongoing crises render return unsafe.

Following similar terminations for Venezuela, Haiti, Afghanistan, and Cameroon, the suit alleges a pattern of targeting TPS-designated populations. It claims the decisions violate the APA and are motivated by racial animus, breaching constitutional protections.

Additionally, the administration’s refusal to grant an “orderly transition” period of at least six months—a standard practice for TPS terminations involving countries designated for three years or more—exacerbates the hardship for TPS holders.

Ahilan Arulanantham, co-director of the UCLA Center for Immigration Law & Policy, highlighted the impossible choice TPS holders face: “They cannot safely go back to their country of nationality, leaving their families and communities, and yet they will be stripped of the right to live and work in the U.S.”

The NTPSA, representing 320,000 members, vowed to pursue legal and advocacy efforts for permanent residency. Coordinator Jose Palma emphasized solidarity, stating, “An attack on one TPS-designated country is an attack on all of us.”

Legal representation includes the National Day Laborer Organizing Network, ACLU Foundations of Northern and Southern California, UCLA’s Center for Immigration Law and Policy, and the Haitian Bridge Alliance.

Emi MacLean of the ACLU Foundation of Northern California accused DHS Secretary Noem of attacking TPS itself, undermining a humanitarian program protecting hundreds of thousands.

Jessica Bansal, an attorney with the National Day Laborer Organizing Network, called the terminations “callous” and “illegal,” arguing the administration cannot ignore legal obligations to justify a predetermined outcome.