On June 30^th, 2026, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled that the Trump administration can end the Temporary Protection Status (TPS). This important case will put millions of people in danger and possible death. Justice Sona Sotomayor was not exaggerating when she wrote: 

“[t]he consequences of today’s decision are predictable. More people will die. More people will attempt to cross the border illegally, and some will make it while others will not.” 

What is TPS? 

TPS is a protection from deportation for designated populations by the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS). This protection protects people from being deported to countries where they’ll be in danger, or the country of origin cannot take them safely. The DHS Secretary can declare TPS in the following conditions: 

• Ongoing armed conflict 
• A natural disaster 
• An epidemic 
• Or other extraordinary and temporary conditions. 

About 1.3 million people benefit from TPS. As of July 2026, the following countries have TPS (in blue) and in red are the countries where TPS was terminated or will terminate in 2026. 

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In many countries, people are not safe to return despite the DHS secretary's assessment.

For many of the countries that have lost TPS, the situations people fled are still present. In other countries, they are still recovering from the aftermath. More importantly, it is uprooting the lives of people who have been in the U.S. for decades. These people have started families, have jobs, own homes, etc.

In South Sudan, Ethiopia, and Myanmar, there is still active armed conflict. In South Sudan, sectarian violence has broken out between supporters of the president and supporters of the vice president. In Ethiopia, armed conflict has broken out between different ethnic groups in the Tigray region. Myanmar’s government is committing genocide against the Muslim minority, the Rohingya, and because of this, violence has broken out as the Rohingya and other minority groups have organized armed groups to counter the government.

Honduras, Nicaragua, and Nepal received TPS because of natural disasters. Honduras and Nicaragua were given TPS in 1999 because of the extensive damage done by Hurricane Mitch. Nepal was given status because of a 7.8 magnitude earthquake in 2015 that killed approximately 9,000 people. Nepal is still not ready to receive TPS recipients, but the administration terminated TPS anyway.

Somalia has not had an effective government since civil war broke out in the 1990s. The country has been divided between warlords and pirates on the coast. In Haiti, government also collapsed when the president was assassinated in 2021 and an outbreak of gang violence made it impossible for the interim government to bring order.

In Venezuela, there is a combination of economic turmoil over government policies that have caused food scarcity, medical scarcity, and the government has also clamped down on anyone who is perceived to be in opposition of the government.

People will get hurt and die.

Despite what DHS secretary has said, people will be put in danger. The Supreme Court in its ruling set the precedent that people cannot take the government to court to keep their TPS status. It makes it so that the DHS’s secretary determination the final decision. This also puts the people who currently have TPS in danger; the status can be revoked for no good reason and that is the final decision.

The thousands of people who have/will lose status are in a difficult situation and there are no good alternatives.

What can I do?

You can connect with organizations in your community that offers services to immigrant community members. More than likely, these organizations and religious organizations have stepped up to help TPS recipients. TPS holders will lose their jobs and that will make it difficult for them to pay their rent/mortgage and provide food for their families. Let the TPS community tell you what they need.

You can also advocate to your lawmakers to extend protection to these people. Do not assume that because your lawmaker is of a specific political party that you will know how they will vote. This is an election year, go to town halls and forums and petition for the candidates to do something about TPS. You can do this through the Office of Public Witness’s most recent action alert here.

We offer this prayer for TPS recipients who have lost status:

God of truth, your family on earth knew the life of refugees when they fled to Egypt. You led your people through the wilderness and brought them to the promised land. Guide us now so that, following your son, we may walk alongside refugee families as they build a new life in the bounty of your love and mercy. Bless all who seek refuge on this earth. Meet their needs for safety and for home. Move the hearts of your people to show them welcome. Cause wars to cease and bring justice to the nations so that no one will need to flee again. In your great mercy, Lord, hear our prayer. Amen.