Anxiety Grows for 55,000 Hondurans in the U.S.: Fear of Losing TPS After Court Ruling

TPS: 55,000 Hondurans at Risk

Fear Over End of TPS

Calls for Honduran Government Support

Uncertainty Surrounds TPS for Hondurans in the U.S.

TPS: 55,000 Hondurans at Risk – Photo: Shutterstock

Why It Matters:

The recent Supreme Court decision allowing former President Donald Trump to end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Venezuelans has triggered alarm among other migrant communities.

In particular, some 55,000 Hondurans in the U.S. fear their TPS may also be terminated by July 5, with no word yet on a possible renewal.

General Context

TPS is an immigration measure that protects citizens from countries affected by conflict or natural disasters.

For Hondurans, this status has been in place since 1999. However, its future is now uncertain amid Trump’s push to scale back this protection policy.

Lives in Limbo (Hondurans Speak Out)

In Florida—the second state with the largest Honduran population—the uncertainty is palpable. Aarón Pineda, 67, a legal resident since 1999, shared his concern:

“We’re worried because we’re realizing nothing is happening with TPS… if they cancel it, then we’re in trouble because we won’t have a license, not even a work permit.”

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His wife, Carmen Moreno, also Honduran but with a different legal status, emphasized the economic and human toll:

“It’s important to keep this legal program so people don’t live in fear, can work, and contribute to the economy… These people pay taxes.”

“And TPS, just imagine, is the only protection they have—the permit.”

More Fear After the Ruling on TPS for Venezuelans

Monday’s ruling has heightened anxiety among migrant communities.

During his first term, Trump already attempted to eliminate TPS for countries like Honduras, El Salvador, Haiti, and Nicaragua.

Elmes Alemán, who migrated from Tegucigalpa in 1997 and now runs a construction business, said:

“When you come to this country, sometimes you come with nothing, but you have to get papers when the opportunity comes… Without opportunity, you can’t get any papers… you have to stay hidden.”

He also defended the role of migrants:

“The immigrant is the one who does the hardest work—in the heat, in the rain, the dangerous jobs that Americans won’t do.”

Appeal to the Honduran Government Over TPS

Juan Flores, president of the 15 de Septiembre Foundation in Miami, called for more intervention from the Honduran government:

“We’re in a state of defenselessness, we don’t have a government that stands up for us… Now we only rely on each other… hoping for goodwill from President Trump’s administration.”

Foreign Minister Enrique Reina responded on X, saying Honduras had already carried out “all relevant efforts to support compatriots,” including a meeting with Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.

As the July 5 deadline approaches, thousands of Honduran families live in constant fear of losing their legal stability in the United States.

Beyond immigration implications, the potential end of TPS threatens to destabilize households, cut off income sources, and weaken both the U.S. and Honduran economies.

Do you know someone who relies on TPS to live and work in the U.S.?

SOURCE: EFE