Explainer
Temporary Protected Status (TPS) is a critical humanitarian tool that protects foreign nationals residing in the United States from deportation when conditions in their home countries make it unsafe to return.
TPS has been making headlines as the Trump administration has moved forward in ending protections for people from , , , , , and . These policy changes鈥攁nd the legal challenges that follow鈥攚ill affect hundreds of thousands of people who rely on TPS to remain safely and legally in the United States.
Get the facts on TPS and what it means for people who cannot return to their home countries due to safety concerns.
What is Temporary Protected Status (TPS)?
The U.S. Congress established TPS in as a protective immigration status for people from countries affected by ongoing armed conflict, an environmental disaster, an epidemic, or other extraordinary and temporary conditions that make a safe return to their home countries impossible. For more than 30 years, TPS has enjoyed bipartisan support, with alike using the program to protect vulnerable populations.
As of March 2024, more than in the U.S. were protected by TPS. Like refugees, TPS holders contribute significantly to the American economy. They fill essential jobs, and in towns, economies are being revitalized by their presence. TPS holders are valued members of American communities, schools, and workplaces鈥攁nd the remittances they send to their home countries help migration.
Zahra (left) and Hadisa both fled Afghanistan in 2021. Now, they study at Arizona State University.
Photo: Nisha Datt for the 探花精选
To qualify for TPS, a person must already live in the U.S. Specifically, they must have been continuously physically present and residing in the U.S. before the date the status was designated by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). This means that people who arrive in the U.S. after that date are not eligible. TPS can last between 6 to 18 months, and can be extended by DHS.
While TPS allows people to live and work legally in the U.S. throughout the duration of their status, it does not offer a pathway to permanent residency or citizenship.
How is TPS extended?
All TPS designations have an expiration date. DHS must review the conditions in countries with TPS designations and decide whether to extend or terminate these designations 60 days before the status expires. When TPS is extended, holders of the status must reapply for protection.
DHS can also decide to redesignate the status, allowing individuals who arrived in the U.S. after the prior designation date鈥攂ut were already living in the U.S. before the redesignation鈥攖o apply for protection.
How have TPS protections changed under the Trump administration?
Between January and June 2025, the Trump administration has ended TPS protections for , , , and .
Following a legal challenge, on March 31st, a blocked the revocation of TPS for Venezuela. The judge noted that the premature termination of TPS would cause significant harm not only to the Venezuelans who lose their status, but could result in a 鈥3.5 billion dollar annual loss to the U.S. economy, and an annual loss of 434.8 million dollars in Social Security taxes.鈥
鈥嬧婬owever, on , the Supreme Court allowed for the early termination of TPS for Venezuela. This means that the group of Venezuelans who were protected under the 2023 TPS designation has now expired, though litigation is still ongoing.
On February 24, 2025, the Trump administration the Biden administration鈥檚 July 2024 extension and redesignation of TPS for Haiti by shortening TPS protection for Haitians from 18 to 12 months. Later, on June 27, 2025, DHS announced the of TPS for Haiti but on July 1, 2025, a federal judge its early termination. While litigation is ongoing, it is estimated that up to a half-million eligible Haitians in the US will lose their work authorization and legal status on September 2, 2025 if TPS for Haiti is terminated. are also challenging the government's decision to reverse the redesignation.
On May 12, 2025, DHS Secretary Noem the termination of TPS for Afghanistan, which went into effect on July 14, 2025. This means that more than 9,000 people lost their protection from deportation and authorization to work.
TPS protections for Cameroon and Nepal were also terminated in June affecting more than 7,000 people. Both Afghanistan and Cameroon are featured on the 探花精选's 2025 Emergency Watchlist of the world's most fragile humanitarian crises, underscoring the dangerous conditions these individuals would face if forced to return home.
On July 7, 2025, DHS announced the termination of TPS for and effective September 8, 2025. Now thousands are being forced to leave the United States without a lifeline to countries they haven't been back to for decades due to still ongoing humanitarian challenges.
How is TPS different from refugee resettlement?
TPS is a program for people already living in the United States. It is also temporary, meaning holders are not given a pathway to permanent status or citizenship.
Haitians qualifying for TPS have been allowed to stay in the U.S. since the 2010 earthquake.
Photo: Gerald Martone/探花精选
Refugee resettlement helps those outside the U.S. who had to flee their countries due to persecution by allowing them to rebuild their lives in the U.S., with a pathway to and eventually citizenship. Yet, fewer than one percent of refugees across the globe have a chance to resettle.
The Biden administration had taken steps to rebuild the refugee resettlement program after its decimation during the first Trump administration, including by setting an ambitious admissions goal of 125,000 for fiscal year 2025; however, the second Trump administration indefinitely paused all new refugee admissions on his first day in office.
Learn more about refugee resettlement.
How is TPS different from asylum?
TPS is applicable to people already in the U.S. before their country of origin received the TPS designation. In contrast, asylum seekers are individuals who flee their country and apply for asylum after arriving in the U.S. They must prove they cannot return due to persecution based on race, religion, nationality, social group membership or political opinion. Asylum seekers present their case to an asylum officer or in immigration court, and legal representation can significantly impact the outcome.
Once granted asylum, they become asylees, gain legal permanent protection from deportation, and can apply for permanent residency and citizenship. Asylees are also eligible to work, travel abroad, and bring their spouse or children under 21 to the U.S.
One of the key differences is that TPS only offers temporary protection for those needing safety. TPS holders who also qualify for asylum may still apply for asylum to secure permanent status.
Which countries have TPS designations?
As of July 1, 2025, fifteens countries currently have , though several are set to expire throughout the year. They are Myanmar (Burma), El Salvador, Ethiopia, Lebanon, , Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Ukraine, and Yemen. TPS for Afghanistan, Cameroon, Nepal, Haiti,Venezuela, Honduras and Nicaragua will end throughout the summer of 2025.
A woman picks her way through the rubble of her war-ravaged village in northeastern Syria.
Photo: 探花精选
Venezuelans, Salvadorans and Haitians comprise the majority of TPS holders, totaling over 700,000 beneficiaries. DHS determined that Venezuela met the conditions for a TPS designation in 2021, as the country鈥檚 humanitarian crisis deepened, and continued this determination in 2023 and 2024. El Salvador received TPS following two devastating earthquakes in 2001, with subsequent developments leading to its extension and re-designation for over 20 years. Haitians have been eligible for TPS since the catastrophic 2010 earthquake, and ongoing conditions have prompted continued extensions and re-designations.
An Afghan family who recently arrived in the U.S. Newly-arrived Afghans have to apply for permanent protection through the U.S. asylum system, which is already facing a backlog of cases.
Photo: Andrew Oberstadt for the 探花精选
How does the 探花精选 help?
The 探花精选 (探花精选) offers high-quality, low-cost immigration legal services and citizenship assistance in 24 cities across the United States. As part of our immigration programs, the 探花精选 helps eligible individuals apply for and renew their TPS status, identifies whether TPS holders are eligible for other forms of humanitarian protection or immigration status, and assists with legal services where applicable.
The 探花精选 also responds to the world鈥檚 most urgent humanitarian crises including in countries with TPS designations like Sudan and Ukraine. Founded at the call of Albert Einstein over 90 years ago, the 探花精选 remains dedicated to helping people affected by crises to survive, recover and rebuild their lives.
We consistently earn top marks by charity watchdog groups for our efficient use of donor contributions and the effectiveness of our work.
Support our mission鈥help crisis-affected people survive, recover and rebuild their lives.
How you can help
People with TPS are contributing members of American communities, schools and workplaces. Ending TPS would harm mixed status families, communities and businesses while putting people who have TPS in legal limbo and danger. The 探花精选 needs your support to continue to deliver our critical programs for people with TPS status and other at-risk groups in the U.S.
Learn more about how you can help the 探花精选 continue our mission.
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