Contents

• Introduction
• Humanitarian Response
• Safe Haven
• Temporary Protected Status
• Deferred Enforced Departure
• Historical Use of Blanket Relief
• Deferred Enforced Departure
• Temporary Protected Status
• TPS and DED Designations as of March 2025
• Afghanistan
• Burma
• Cameroon
• El Salvador
• Ethiopia
• Haiti
• Honduras and Nicaragua
• Hong Kong
• Lebanon
• Liberia
• Nepal
• Palestinians
• Somalia
• Sudan and South Sudan
• Syria
• Ukraine
• Venezuela
• Yemen
• State of Residence of TPS Recipients
• Long-Standing TPS Designations
• Legislative Activity in Recent Congresses

Summary

When civil unrest, violence, or natural disasters erupt in countries around the world, concerns arise over the ability of foreign nationals present in the United States who are from those countries to safely return. Congress created temporary protected status (TPS) in 1990 to provide protection from removal to such individuals—regardless of their immigration status. The Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has the discretion to designate a country for TPS for periods of 6 to 18 months and can extend these periods if the country continues to meet the conditions for designation. A foreign national from a designated country who is granted TPS receives a registration document and employment authorization for the duration of the TPS designation.

In addition to TPS, there is another form of blanket relief from removal known as deferred enforced departure (DED). DED is a temporary, discretionary, administrative stay of removal granted to foreign nationals from designated countries. Unlike TPS, a DED designation emanates from the President's constitutional powers to conduct foreign relations and has no statutory basis.

As of March 31, 2025, 17 countries were covered by TPS designations: Afghanistan, Burma, Cameroon, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Haiti, Honduras, Lebanon, Nepal, Nicaragua, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Ukraine, Venezuela, and Yemen. The second Trump Administration has announced terminations of TPS designations for several of these countries, and some terminations are subject to ongoing litigation. As of March 31, 2025, approximately 1,297,635 foreign nationals in the United States from these countries were protected from removal by TPS. In addition, certain, Lebanese, Liberians, and residents of Hong Kong living in the United States currently maintain relief under DED. A DED grant for certain Palestinians expired on August 13, 2025.

Over the past decade, there has been debate about whether foreign nationals who have been living in the United States for long periods of time with TPS or DED should have a pathway to lawful permanent resident (LPR) status. Two bills that would have provided LPR status to certain TPS and DED recipients passed the House in the 117^th Congress; the Senate did not take action on either.

Various bills related to TPS and DED were introduced in the 118^th and 119^th Congresses. Among them are proposals to designate certain countries for TPS, provide additional benefits to TPS or DED recipients, or provide a pathway to LPR status, while others would further restrict individual eligibility for TPS or require an act of Congress to designate countries for TPS. P.L. 119-21 increased the TPS application fee and the employment authorization fee for TPS holders.

Introduction

The Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) specifies the conditions under which foreign nationals (aliens¹) may enter or be removed from the United States. Aliens in the United States in violation of the INA are subject to removal. Such individuals include those who, for example, were inspected by an immigration officer and permitted to enter (e.g., nonimmigrants, parolees) and then overstayed their period of authorization or otherwise violated the terms of their admission,² and those who entered the country surreptitiously.

The executive branch has discretion to grant temporary reprieves from removal to individuals present in the United States in violation of the INA.³ Temporary protected status (TPS), codified in INA Section 244,⁴ provides temporary relief from removal and work authorization to certain foreign nationals—regardless of their immigration status—in the United States who are from countries experiencing armed conflict, natural disaster, or other extraordinary circumstances that prevent their safe return.

This report begins by situating TPS in the context of humanitarian responses to migration. Another form of blanket relief⁵ from removal—Deferred Enforced Departure (DED)—is also described, as is the historical use of these relief mechanisms. This report then provides information on each of the countries and groups currently or recently covered by TPS or DED, and the number of TPS recipients in each U.S. state. The report discusses the issue of long-standing TPS designations and legislation to provide lawful permanent resident (LPR) status to certain TPS beneficiaries. It concludes with a brief description of other recent legislative activity related to TPS and DED.

Humanitarian Response

As a State Party to the 1967 United Nations Protocol Relating to the Status of Refugees (UN Protocol),⁶ the United States agrees to the principle of nonrefoulement, which asserts that a refugee should not be returned to a country where he or she faces serious threats to his or her life or freedom on account of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion. (This is now considered a rule of customary international law.) Nonrefoulement is embodied in several provisions of U.S. immigration law. For example, INA §241(b)(3) requires the government to withhold the removal of a foreign national to a country in which his or her life or freedom would be threatened on the basis of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion.⁷

The definition of a "refugee" in the INA, which is consistent with the UN Protocol, specifies that a refugee is a person who is unwilling or unable to return to his/her country of nationality or habitual residence because of persecution or a well-founded fear of persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion.⁸ Persons seeking asylum in the United States must also satisfy this definition.⁹ Under the INA, persons seeking refugee status or asylum differ with respect to their physical location: those abroad apply for refugee status while those in the United States or at a U.S. port of entry apply for asylum.¹⁰ Those admitted as refugees or granted asylum can apply for LPR status after one year.¹¹

Safe Haven

Some foreign nationals in the United States may not qualify for asylum because they cannot individually show past persecution or a well-founded fear of future persecution, but they may qualify for other forms of humanitarian relief if their home country experiences violence, upheaval, or environmental disaster. From 1960 until 1990, the U.S. government granted temporary nationality-based relief from removal (safe haven¹²) to foreign nationals in the United States whose home countries were experiencing war or other dangerous conditions that would have prevented their safe return. Such relief was conferred by the Attorney General—typically after receiving a recommendation from the Department of State (DOS)—through discretionary, blanket grants of extended voluntary departure (EVD).¹³ Decisions to grant or not grant EVD took into account foreign policy, immigration, and humanitarian concerns.¹⁴ As one legal scholar described it, EVD allowed the United States to meet its international commitments to "provide a 'safe haven' while at the same time not granting permanent residency to large groups of aliens outside of regular immigration channels or forcing foreign nationals to renounce their homeland in order to avoid what may be a relatively short-lived crisis."¹⁵ Some of those granted EVD were eventually permitted to adjust to LPR status.¹⁶

In the 1980s, hundreds of thousands of Central Americans arrived in the United States during a time of civil conflicts in El Salvador, Guatemala, and Nicaragua.¹⁷ Many of these new arrivals applied for asylum; approval rates were relatively low, especially for Salvadorans.¹⁸ Religious groups, some Members of Congress, and others called for the Reagan Administration, and subsequently the George H.W. Bush Administration, to grant blanket relief to Salvadorans, arguing that forcing them to return to El Salvador would be inhumane given the level of violence there.¹⁹

In the absence of an EVD grant for Central Americans, some Members of Congress introduced bills to create a statutory safe-haven mechanism that would provide nationality-based relief from removal.²⁰ Proponents of these bills pointed to a need to fill what they perceived as a protection gap for those in the United States who had not or would not qualify for asylum but whose home countries had erupted in generalized violence, upheaval, or environmental disaster.²¹ As support for the argument that there was a gap, Representative Mazzoli pointed out that EVD had been used more than a dozen times going back to the Eisenhower Administration and that each subsequent Administration had used it, regardless of political party. However, he asserted, the recent debates over EVD for Salvadorans and Nicaraguans had revealed that EVD decisions were made "on an ad hoc basis without proper guidelines or standards."²² Temporary safe haven legislation, supporters contended, would address EVD shortcomings by creating an orderly, statutory process. Opponents argued that such a measure would undercut the Refugee Act of 1980 by applying a blanket approach rather than a case-by-case approach to protection needs, and that it would be harmful to U.S. immigration policy by creating pressure for permanent status, encouraging illegal immigration, and favoring nationals of specific countries over others.²³

Temporary Protected Status

After several years of debate, Congress established TPS through Title III of the Immigration Act of 1990 (P.L. 101-649) and designated El Salvador for TPS for 18 months. The statute gives the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS),²⁴ in consultation with other government agencies (most notably the Department of State), the authority to designate a country for TPS under one or more of the following conditions:

(1) ongoing armed conflict in a foreign state that poses a serious threat to personal safety;

(2) a foreign state request for TPS because it temporarily cannot handle the return of its nationals due to an environmental disaster; or

(3) extraordinary and temporary conditions in a foreign state that prevent its nationals from safely returning, unless the Secretary finds that allowing its nationals to temporarily stay in the United States is against the U.S. national interest.²⁵

The Secretary of DHS may designate a country for TPS for periods of 6 to 18 months.²⁶ A designation must be published in the Federal Register in order to take effect. TPS statute directs the Secretary to periodically review conditions in designated countries and determine whether the conditions for designation continue to be met. If the Secretary determines that they do not, he or she "shall terminate the designation by publishing notice in the Federal Register."²⁷ Such termination may not take effect earlier than 60 days after publication or the expiration of the most recent previous extension, whichever is later.²⁸ If the Secretary determines that conditions continue to be met (or does not make a determination), a designation is extended for 6 months or, at the Secretary's discretion, 12 to 18 months.²⁹ Each designation specifies the date by which individuals must have continuously resided in the United States in order to qualify.³⁰ If the Secretary extends a designation, he or she may also move forward the required arrival date to allow foreign nationals who more recently arrived in the United States to qualify, an action sometimes referred to as redesignation.³¹

To be eligible for TPS, a national³² of a designated country must (1) have been continuously physically present in the United States since the designation began; (2) have continuously resided in the United States since the date indicated by the DHS Secretary;³³ (3) be admissible as an immigrant, with certain exceptions; and (4) register during the specified registration period.³⁴ Aliens convicted of a felony or two or more misdemeanors committed in the United States are ineligible for TPS.³⁵ In addition, TPS applicants are subject to the same criminal and security ineligibilities that apply to asylum applicants.³⁶ The TPS statute specifies that certain grounds of inadmissibility do not apply to TPS applicants (those related to labor certification and documentation requirements) and that other grounds of inadmissibility cannot be waived, including those relating to criminal convictions, drug offenses, terrorist activity, and the persecution of others.³⁷ To obtain TPS, applicants must pay specified fees and submit an application to DHS's U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) before the deadline set forth in the Federal Register notice announcing the TPS designation. The application must include supporting documentation as evidence of eligibility (e.g., a passport issued by the designated country and records showing continuous physical presence in the United States since the date established in the TPS designation).³⁸ Foreign nationals outside the United States are not eligible to apply for TPS.

Individuals granted TPS are eligible for employment authorization, cannot be detained on the basis of their immigration status, and are not subject to removal while they retain TPS.³⁹ They may be deemed ineligible for public assistance by a state, and they may travel abroad with the prior consent of the DHS Secretary.⁴⁰ TPS does not provide a path to lawful permanent residence or citizenship, but a TPS recipient is not barred from acquiring another immigration status if he or she meets the requirements.⁴¹ DHS has indicated that information it collects when an individual registers for TPS may be used to enforce immigration law or in any criminal proceeding.⁴² In addition, withdrawal of an individual's TPS may subject the individual to removal proceedings.⁴³

Deferred Enforced Departure

DED, formerly known as EVD, is another form of blanket relief from removal.⁴⁴ DED is a temporary, discretionary, administrative stay of removal that has been granted to foreign nationals from designated areas. Unlike TPS, a DED designation emanates from the President's constitutional powers to conduct foreign relations and has no statutory basis. DED was first used in 1990 and has been applied to nine groups (see the "Historical Use of Blanket Relief" section). Certain Lebanese, Liberians, and residents of Hong Kong living in the United States currently maintain relief under DED; a DED grant for certain Palestinians expired on August 13, 2025.

Presidents have granted DED through executive order or presidential memorandum, which generally have provided eligibility guidelines and directed the Secretary of Homeland Security to allow DED-eligible individuals to apply for employment authorization. Unlike TPS, the Secretary of State does not need to be consulted when DED is granted. In contrast to recipients of TPS, individuals who benefit from DED do not register for the status with USCIS unless they are applying for work authorization.⁴⁵ Instead, DED is triggered when a protected individual is identified for removal.

Historical Use of Blanket Relief

Deferred Enforced Departure

DED—and its precursor, EVD—have been used to provide relief from removal at the President's discretion, usually in response to war, civil unrest, or natural disasters.⁴⁶ When the initial congressional TPS designation of El Salvador expired in 1992, President George H. W. Bush granted DED for 12 months to the estimated 150,000 Salvadorans covered by the TPS designation. President Clinton extended this DED grant for another 18 months before allowing it to expire at the end of 1994. President Bush also granted DED to about 80,000 Chinese nationals in the United States following the Tiananmen Square massacre in June 1989, and these individuals retained DED status through January 1994.⁴⁷ From 1991 to 1996, DED was also granted to about 2,200 Kuwaiti Persian Gulf evacuees who were airlifted to the United States after the 1990 Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. In December 1997, President Clinton granted DED for one year to Haitian nationals in the United States, providing time for the Administration to work with Congress on long-term legislative relief for Haitians.⁴⁸ President George W. Bush granted DED to Liberian nationals whose TPS was expiring in September 2007; Liberian DED was extended under several subsequent Presidents and is currently in effect (for more details, see the "Liberia" section). On President Trump's last full day of his first term, he granted DED to Venezuelans; that grant expired in 2022, following the designation of Venezuela for TPS in 2021 (for more details, see the "Venezuela" section).

Temporary Protected Status

In 1990, when Congress enacted the TPS statute, it also granted TPS for 18 months to Salvadoran nationals who were residing in the United States. Between 1990 and 2017, the Attorney General (and later, the Secretary of DHS), in consultation with the Secretary of State, granted and subsequently terminated TPS for foreign nationals in the United States from the following countries: Angola, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Burundi, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kosovo (then a province of Serbia), Kuwait, Lebanon, Liberia, Montserrat, Rwanda, and Sierra Leone.⁴⁹

TPS and DED Designations as of March 2025

As of March 31, 2025, 17 countries were designated for TPS: Afghanistan, Burma, Cameroon, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Haiti, Honduras, Lebanon, Nepal, Nicaragua, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Ukraine, Venezuela, and Yemen.⁵⁰ As of that date, approximately 1,297,635 foreign nationals residing in the United States were protected by TPS.⁵¹ The second Trump Administration has announced terminations of TPS designations for several of these countries (see Table 1).⁵²

Table 1 lists the TPS-designated countries as of March 31, 2025, the most recent decision (e.g., new designation, extension, or termination) by the Secretary of DHS, the date from which individuals are required to have continuously resided in the United States, and the designation's current expiration date. In addition, Table 1 shows the number of individuals protected by TPS as of March 31, 2025.⁵³

In addition to the countries designated for TPS, certain nationals of Liberia and Lebanon are covered by DED, as are certain Hong Kong residents currently present in the United States; an 18-month DED grant for certain Palestinians expired on August 13, 2025. Table 2 shows the dates associated with these grants. Individuals covered by DED are not required to register for the status with USCIS unless they are applying for work authorization. As a result, USCIS does not maintain data on the number of people covered by DED.

Afghanistan

Tens of thousands of Afghans were evacuated and relocated to the United States in summer 2021 as a result of the U.S. military withdrawal from Afghanistan.⁵⁴ These Afghan nationals included persons who had assisted the United States during its two-decade military presence and economic development efforts in Afghanistan. Most Afghan evacuees who were allowed to enter the United States were granted immigration parole. Parolees are permitted to remain in the United States for the duration of the grant of parole and may obtain work authorization.⁵⁵ These benefits are temporary; parole does not provide a recipient with a designated pathway to LPR status. Most Afghan evacuees were granted parole for two years,⁵⁶ though some were reportedly granted parole for one year.⁵⁷

On March 15, 2022, DHS Secretary Mayorkas announced the designation of Afghanistan for TPS for a period of 18 months.⁵⁸ The designation was based on ongoing armed conflict "as the Taliban seeks to impose control in all areas of the country and Islamic State-Khorasan (IS-K) conducts attacks against civilians."⁵⁹ The DHS press release also referenced the "extraordinary and temporary" conditions that prevented Afghans from being able to safely return to Afghanistan: "collapsing public sector, a worsening economic crisis, drought, food and water insecurity, lack of access to healthcare, internal displacement, human rights abuses and repression by the Taliban, destruction of infrastructure, and increasing criminality."⁶⁰ According to DHS, the TPS designation would allow approximately 74,500 Afghans who were residing in the United States as of March 15, 2022, to remain and work legally through November 20, 2023.⁶¹

In September 2023, Secretary Mayorkas extended Afghanistan's TPS designation for another 18 months, through May 20, 2025, based on the conditions described above.⁶² At the same time, he also redesignated Afghanistan for TPS, allowing additional Afghan nationals who had been residing in the United States since September 20, 2023, to apply for TPS. DHS estimates that approximately 14,600 individuals became newly eligible for TPS under the redesignation of Afghanistan.⁶³ In May 2025, Secretary Noem announced the termination of Afghanistan's TPS designation, effective July 14, 2025.⁶⁴ As of March 31, 2025, 8,105 nationals of Afghanistan were covered by TPS according to USCIS.⁶⁵

Burma

On February 1, 2021, Burma's military seized control of Burma's Union Government and detained State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi (the country's de facto civilian leader) and members of her political party. The military's action was widely condemned internationally as a blow to Burma's partial transition from military rule to democracy.⁶⁶ In subsequent weeks, the military used lethal force against peaceful protesters several times.

In a press release announcing the decision to designate Burma for TPS on the basis of extraordinary and temporary conditions, Secretary Mayorkas stated, "Due to the military coup and security forces' brutal violence against civilians, the people of Burma are suffering a complex and deteriorating humanitarian crisis in many parts of the country."⁶⁷ The press release also noted, "The coup has led to continuing violence, pervasive arbitrary detentions, the use of lethal violence against peaceful protesters, and intimidation of the people of Burma. The coup has worsened humanitarian conditions in several areas by limiting access to life-saving assistance, disrupting flights carrying humanitarian and medical aid, and spurring an economic crisis."⁶⁸

Burma's initial designation was for 18 months (through November 25, 2022) and applied to Burmese nationals who could demonstrate that they were present in the United States as of March 11, 2021. DHS estimated that 1,600 individuals were eligible under this designation.⁶⁹ Secretary Mayorkas extended Burma's designation twice since then—in September 2022 and in May 2024—citing ongoing violence, human trafficking, food insecurity, and other humanitarian concerns.⁷⁰ Each extension was for 18 months and was accompanied by a redesignation, allowing more recently arrived Burmese nationals to be eligible for TPS. The latest redesignation makes Burmese nationals residing in the United States as of March 21, 2024, eligible for TPS. The redesignation is set to expire on November 25, 2025. DHS estimates that approximately 9,590 additional individuals may be eligible for TPS under the two redesignations of Burma.⁷¹ As of March 31, 2025, 3,670 nationals of Burma were covered by TPS according to USCIS.⁷²

Cameroon

Cameroon faces security crises on several fronts.⁷³ Northern Cameroon faces threats from Boko Haram, a Nigerian-origin armed Islamist group, and an Islamic State-affiliated offshoot. In the west, a conflict between Anglophone separatists and state security forces that began in 2017 has led to thousands of civilian deaths and widespread human rights abuses. Over 1 million Cameroonians have been internally displaced due to the conflicts in the north and west.⁷⁴ Some 4.7 million Cameroonians (more than one in seven) are in need of humanitarian assistance, per UN estimates.⁷⁵

In 2020, multiple Members of Congress urged the Trump Administration to halt the planned removal of Cameroonian asylum-seekers, citing unsafe conditions in Cameroon.⁷⁶ Starting in 2021, multiple Members of Congress asked the Biden Administration to grant TPS or DED for Cameroon.⁷⁷ In 2022, the U.S. organization Human Rights Watch raised concerns over the safety of Cameroonians removed from the United States, citing allegations that some of those returned to Cameroon from the United States faced arbitrary arrest and detention, torture, rape, and other abuses by Cameroonian authorities.⁷⁸

On April 15, 2022, DHS Secretary Mayorkas announced that he was designating Cameroon for TPS based on armed conflict and extraordinary conditions that prevent its nationals from returning to Cameroon safely. The announcement cited "the extreme violence between government forces and armed separatists and a significant rise in attacks from Boko Haram," as well as the widespread destruction of civilian infrastructure, which "have led to economic instability, food insecurity, and several hundred thousand displaced Cameroonians without access to schools, hospitals, and other critical services."⁷⁹ The 18-month designation covered nationals of Cameroon who were residing in the United States as of April 14, 2022. DHS estimated that 11,700 individuals were eligible to file applications for TPS under this initial designation of Cameroon.⁸⁰

In October 2023, Secretary Mayorkas extended Cameroon's designation for 18 months, through June 7, 2025, based on ongoing armed conflict and extraordinary and temporary conditions.⁸¹ He also redesignated Cameroon for TPS, allowing additional Cameroonian nationals who had been residing in the United States since October 5, 2023, to apply. DHS estimated that approximately 7,900 individuals were newly eligible for TPS under the redesignation of Cameroon.⁸² In June 2025, Secretary Noem announced the termination of Cameroon's TPS designation, effective August 4, 2025. The Federal Register notice announcing the termination noted that armed conflict is limited to 3 of 10 regions in Cameroon and that "while certain conditions that led to the initial designation of TPS for Cameroon may continue, they do not pose a serious threat to individual safety due to ongoing armed conflict and do not result in Cameroonians being unable to safely return."⁸³ As of March 31, 2025, 4,920 nationals of Cameroon were covered by TPS according to USCIS.⁸⁴

El Salvador

The only time Congress has designated a country for TPS was in 1990 (as part of P.L. 101-649, the law establishing TPS) when it designated El Salvador for 18 months.⁸⁵ As previously mentioned, when this designation expired in 1992, President George H. W. Bush granted DED for 12 months to the estimated 150,000 Salvadorans covered by the TPS designation. President Clinton extended this DED grant for another 18 months before allowing it to expire at the end of 1994. Some Salvadorans covered by these designations who had applied for asylum were able to adjust to LPR status under the Nicaraguan Adjustment and Central American Relief Act (NACARA) (Title II of P.L. 105-100), which became law in 1997.⁸⁶

In early 2001, two major earthquakes hit El Salvador, resulting in thousands of deaths and injuries, and the displacement of 17% of the country's population.⁸⁷ The Government of El Salvador formally requested a TPS designation in January 2001, and the George W. Bush Administration designated El Salvador for TPS in March of that same year. This initial designation was for 18 months. Over the years, the George W. Bush Administration and the Obama Administration extended TPS for El Salvador on the rationale that it was still unsafe for its nationals to return due to the disruption of living conditions from environmental disaster.

On January 8, 2018, the first Trump Administration announced its decision to terminate TPS for El Salvador—whose almost 200,000 nationals accounted for about 60% of all TPS recipients at the time—after an 18-month transition period. El Salvador's TPS designation was scheduled to end on September 9, 2019,⁸⁸ but the termination was put on hold due to a legal challenge.⁸⁹ To comply with court orders, DHS extended TPS-related documentation through June 30, 2024, for individuals from El Salvador and other specified countries.⁹⁰ On June 13, 2023, the Biden Administration announced that it was rescinding the Trump Administration's termination of the TPS designation for El Salvador and extending it for 18 months (until March 9, 2025).⁹¹ In January 2025, the Biden Administration extended El Salvador's TPS for another 18 months, through September 9, 2026.⁹² As of March 31, 2025, 170,125 nationals of El Salvador were covered by TPS according to USCIS.⁹³

Ethiopia

Armed conflict in Ethiopia's Tigray regional state broke out in late 2020, fueling a large-scale humanitarian crisis and attracting international concern amid reports of starvation and atrocities.⁹⁴ The conflict spread into neighboring states in 2021 before a humanitarian truce was declared in March 2022. The warring parties resumed hostilities in August 2022, prompting concern by international observers that the renewed hostilities might spur a new wave of human rights abuses and possible atrocities.⁹⁵ A ceasefire agreement signed in November 2022 brought an end to the fighting, but tensions persist, as does large-scale displacement. Armed conflict continued in other parts of the country, including in parts of its largest and most populous region, Oromia. There are also humanitarian crises linked to drought and conflict.

On October 21, 2022, DHS announced an 18-month designation of Ethiopia for TPS, citing "conflict-related violence and a humanitarian crisis involving severe food shortages, flooding, drought, and displacement."⁹⁶ When announcing TPS for Ethiopia, DHS further stated

Due to the armed conflict, civilians are at risk of conflict-related violence, including attacks, killings, rape, and other forms of gender-based violence; ethnicity-based detentions; and human rights violations and abuses. Extraordinary and temporary conditions that further prevent nationals from returning in safety include a humanitarian crisis involving severe food insecurity, flooding, drought, large-scale displacement, and the impact of disease outbreaks.

This initial 18-month designation covered individuals who were residing in the United States as of December 12, 2022, and lasted until June 12, 2024.⁹⁷ Secretary Mayorkas extended Ethiopia's designation for another 18 months (from June 13, 2024, through December 12, 2025) based on ongoing armed conflict and extraordinary conditions, including human rights abuses, environmental disasters, food insecurity, internal displacement, and communicable diseases outbreaks.⁹⁸ The extension was accompanied by a redesignation, which allowed additional Ethiopian nationals who had been continuously residing in the United States since April 11, 2024, to apply for TPS. DHS estimated that approximately 26,700 Ethiopians residing in the United States as of October 20, 2022, were eligible to apply for TPS under the initial designation,⁹⁹ and that approximately 12,800 individuals became newly eligible for TPS under the redesignation of Ethiopia. As of March 31, 2025, 4,540 nationals of Ethiopia were covered by TPS according to USCIS.¹⁰⁰

Haiti

Devastation caused by a January 12, 2010, earthquake in Haiti prompted calls for the Obama Administration to grant TPS to Haitian nationals in the United States.¹⁰¹ The scale of the humanitarian crisis after the earthquake—with estimates of thousands of Haitians dead and reports of the total collapse of Port au Prince's infrastructure—led DHS to grant TPS for 18 months to Haitian nationals who were in the United States as of January 12, 2010.¹⁰² At the time, then-DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano stated: "Providing a temporary refuge for Haitian nationals who are currently in the United States and whose personal safety would be endangered by returning to Haiti is part of this Administration's continuing efforts to support Haiti's recovery."¹⁰³

DHS extended the TPS designation for Haiti in May 2011, providing another 18 months of TPS, through January 22, 2013.¹⁰⁴ At the same time, DHS issued a redesignation, enabling eligible Haitian nationals who had arrived in the United States up to one year after the earthquake to receive TPS. The redesignation targeted individuals who were allowed to enter the United States immediately after the earthquake on temporary visas or humanitarian parole,¹⁰⁵ but were not covered by the initial TPS designation.¹⁰⁶ Subsequently, then-Secretary Jeh Johnson extended Haiti's designation several more times, through July 22, 2017.¹⁰⁷

On May 24, 2017, then-Secretary John Kelly extended Haiti's TPS designation for six months (the minimum allowed by statute), from its planned expiration on July 22, 2017, to January 22, 2018, and encouraged beneficiaries to prepare to return to Haiti should its designation be terminated after six months.¹⁰⁸ An October 4, 2017, letter from the Haitian ambassador to then-Acting DHS Secretary Elaine Duke requested that Haiti's designation be extended for an additional 18 months.¹⁰⁹ On November 20, 2017, DHS announced its decision to terminate TPS for Haiti, with an 18-month transition period. Haiti's designation was set to terminate on July 22, 2019,¹¹⁰ but the termination did not take effect due to legal challenges.¹¹¹

On May 22, 2021, Secretary Mayorkas announced a new, 18-month TPS designation for Haiti based on extraordinary and temporary conditions, stating, "Haiti is currently experiencing serious security concerns, social unrest, an increase in human rights abuses, crippling poverty, and lack of basic resources, which are exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic."¹¹² The announcement followed months of pressure from immigration advocates and some Members of Congress, including the chair and ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.¹¹³ DHS estimated that 155,000 Haitians would be eligible under this designation,¹¹⁴ which included individuals who were already covered by the separate TPS designation that began in 2010. Haiti's TPS has been extended twice since then (in December 2022¹¹⁵ and July 2024¹¹⁶) for 18 months each time. Both times, Haiti was also redesignated, allowing additional Haitian nationals to apply. Haitians who have been residing in the United States since June 3, 2024, are eligible under the most recent redesignation. DHS estimated that 309,000 Haitians would be newly eligible to apply under this redesignation.¹¹⁷

In February 2025, Secretary Noem announced a partial vacatur of Secretary Mayorkas's July 2024 decision to extend Haiti's TPS for 18 months by reducing the designation period to 12 months.¹¹⁸ In June 2025, Secretary Noem announced the termination of Haiti's TPS designation effective September 2, 2025, stating that "the environmental situation in Haiti has improved enough that it is safe for Haitian citizens to return home"¹¹⁹ and that it is "contrary to the national interest to permit [Haitians] to remain temporarily in the United States."¹²⁰ A federal district court judge ruled that Noem's partial vacatur was unlawful and that a termination cannot take effect prior to February 3, 2026, the expiration date of Mayorkas's last extension.¹²¹ As of March 31, 2025, there were 330,735 nationals of Haiti with TPS according to USCIS.¹²²

Honduras and Nicaragua

In the aftermath of Hurricane Mitch in November 1998, then-Attorney General Janet Reno announced that she would temporarily suspend the deportation of nationals from El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. On January 5, 1999, she designated Honduras and Nicaragua for TPS due to "severe flooding and associated damage" and "substantial disruption of living conditions" caused by Hurricane Mitch.¹²³ Over the years, the George W. Bush Administration and the Obama Administration extended TPS for Honduras and Nicaragua on the rationale that it was still unsafe for their nationals to return due to the disruption of living conditions from environmental disasters.

Beginning in late 2017, the first Trump Administration announced decisions to terminate TPS for Nicaragua and to put on hold a decision about Honduras. In November 2017, DHS announced that TPS for Nicaragua would end on January 5, 2019, due to "recovery efforts relating to Hurricane Mitch [that] have largely been completed."¹²⁴ On the same day, DHS announced that more information was necessary to make a determination about TPS for Honduras; as a result, its designation was extended for six months as prescribed by statute.¹²⁵ On May 4, 2018, DHS announced its decision to terminate the TPS designation for Honduras, with an 18-month delay (until January 5, 2020) to allow for an orderly transition.¹²⁶ The terminations for Nicaragua and Honduras did not take effect due to a legal challenge.¹²⁷

In June 2023, the Biden Administration announced that it was rescinding the first Trump Administration's terminations and extending the designations of Honduras and Nicaragua for 18 months, through July 5, 2025.¹²⁸ The notices cited environmental, political, and social crises since Hurricane Mitch that prevented full recovery from the hurricane and continued to impair the countries from adequately handling the return of their nationals.¹²⁹ On July 7, 2025, the second Trump Administration announced terminations of both countries' designations (to take effect September 8, 2025), citing their "significant progress recovering from the hurricane's destruction," their growing tourism industries, and other infrastructural and economic improvements.¹³⁰ These terminations are subject to a pending legal challenge.¹³¹ As of March 31, 2025, 51,225 nationals of Honduras and 2,910 nationals of Nicaragua were covered by TPS according to USCIS.¹³²

Hong Kong

Following large-scale protests in 2019, China imposed a sweeping National Security Law in 2020 on its Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. The U.S. government joined other G-7 members and the European Union in declaring that China's decision to impose the law was "not in conformity with" China's commitments under a legally binding, UN-registered 1984 treaty between China and the United Kingdom (U.K.).¹³³ In the treaty, China had pledged that after it assumed sovereignty of Hong Kong from the U.K. in 1997, Hong Kong would "enjoy a high degree of autonomy" and "independent judicial power" until at least 2047.¹³⁴ In February 2021, after Hong Kong authorities charged pro-democracy politicians and activists with subversion under the new law, then-U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken called for their immediate release, stating, "Political participation and freedom of expression should not be crimes."¹³⁵ On August 5, 2021, President Biden granted DED to certain Hong Kong residents in the United States citing the "significant erosion" of human rights and fundamental freedoms in Hong Kong.¹³⁶ Under this directive, eligible individuals could apply to DHS for work authorization and were not subject to removal from the United States for the next 18 months. DHS estimated that the Hong Kong population eligible for DED in March 2021 was 3,860.¹³⁷ On January 26, 2023, President Biden announced a two-year extension (through February 5, 2025) of DED for certain Hong Kong residents, including those who arrived in the United States by January 26, 2023.¹³⁸ Citing ongoing Hong Kong crackdowns on pro-democracy advocates, President Biden in January 2025 extended the grant for another two years (through February 5, 2027) and expanded eligibility to those from Hong Kong who entered the United States after the prior extension.¹³⁹

Lebanon

The Israel-Hamas war that began in October 2023 has led to regional instability. Armed clashes between Lebanon's neighbor, Israel, and the Iran-backed Shia Islamist group Lebanese Hezbollah (a U.S.-designated foreign terrorist organization) intensified in September and October 2024 before pausing via a November 2024 ceasefire.¹⁴⁰ On July 26, 2024, President Biden announced an 18-month DED grant for Lebanese nationals present in the United States as of that date, citing the deterioration in humanitarian conditions in southern Lebanon and danger to civilians.¹⁴¹

On October 17, 2024, Secretary Mayorkas announced a new TPS designation for Lebanon for 18 months, citing "ongoing armed conflict and extraordinary and temporary conditions in Lebanon that prevent nationals of Lebanon from returning in safety."¹⁴² The announcement noted that the TPS designation would allow Lebanese nationals to remain in the United States "while the United States is in discussions to achieve a diplomatic resolution for lasting stability and security across the Israel-Lebanon border."¹⁴³ Unlike DED, a TPS designation allows those who qualify to obtain documentation of their status if they submit an application (with a fee) and it is approved.¹⁴⁴ A TPS designation also requires that the Administration reconsider country conditions on a periodic basis and extend or terminate the status accordingly, whereas DED can expire (or be terminated early) without review.¹⁴⁵ DHS estimates that approximately 11,000 Lebanese nationals may be eligible for DED and TPS.¹⁴⁶ As of March 31, 2025, 140 individuals were covered by Lebanon's TPS designation according to USCIS.¹⁴⁷

Liberia

Liberians in the United States first received TPS in March 1991 following the outbreak of civil war and were subsequently covered by TPS through September 1999.¹⁴⁸ In September 1999, when their TPS designation expired, President Clinton authorized DED for an estimated 10,000 Liberians in the United States. DED was subsequently extended by President Clinton and President George W. Bush to September 29, 2002. On October 1, 2002, Liberia was designated again for TPS due to ongoing armed conflict.¹⁴⁹ In 2006, the George W. Bush Administration announced that TPS for Liberia would expire on October 1, 2007, but that covered Liberians would be eligible for DED until March 31, 2009. On March 23, 2009, President Obama extended DED for those Liberians until March 31, 2010, and several times thereafter.¹⁵⁰

As a result of the 2014-2016 Ebola outbreak in West Africa, the Obama Administration designated Liberia for TPS again, along with Sierra Leone and Guinea.¹⁵¹ This TPS designation was set to expire on November 21, 2016, but was extended for six additional months, through May 21, 2017. This extension was granted in order to provide an "orderly transition" for beneficiaries to "prepare for and arrange their departure from the United States or … to apply for other immigration benefits for which they are eligible."¹⁵² Similar notices were issued for Sierra Leone and Guinea.

President Obama extended, through March 31, 2018, the DED grant for a specially designated population of Liberians who had been residing in the United States since October 2002.¹⁵³ On March 27, 2018, President Trump announced that, while a further DED extension was not warranted due to improved conditions in Liberia, U.S. foreign policy interests warranted a 12-month wind-down period.¹⁵⁴ A lawsuit challenging the termination was filed in federal court on March 8, 2019.¹⁵⁵ Three days before the effective DED termination date, President Trump—citing congressional efforts to provide longer-term relief for Liberians—announced a 12-month extension of the wind-down period, to last through March 30, 2020.¹⁵⁶

On March 30, 2020, President Trump again delayed the effective date of the termination (this time to January 10, 2021) in order to provide continuous employment authorization to Liberians eligible to adjust their status under the recently enacted Liberian Refugee Immigration Fairness provision (LRIF). LRIF, enacted by the 116^th Congress as Section 7611 of the FY2020 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA, P.L. 116-92, signed into law by President Trump on December 20, 2019), allowed Liberians who had been continuously present in the United States since November 2014 and their family members to apply for LPR status. The deadline for submitting LRIF applications was December 20, 2021.¹⁵⁷

The DED grant for Liberia expired on January 10, 2021. On his first day in office, President Biden reinstated DED through June 30, 2022, for Liberians who had been covered by the most recent DED grant, citing foreign policy reasons and a desire to provide protection and work authorization for Liberians in the process of adjusting status under LRIF.¹⁵⁸ In June 2022, President Biden extended DED by two years and expanded eligibility to include Liberians who have been continuously present in the United States since May 20, 2017.¹⁵⁹ This date aligns with the end of Liberia's most recent TPS designation and thus allows certain individuals who may be eligible for LRIF and/or were not covered by the prior DED grant to receive protection from removal and work authorization. In his memorandum extending DED, President Biden stated, "Providing protection from removal and work authorization to these Liberians, for whom we have long authorized TPS or DED in the United States, including while they complete the LRIF status-adjustment process, honors the historic close relationship between the United States and Liberia and is in the foreign policy interests of the United States."¹⁶⁰ On June 28, 2024, President Biden extended Liberia's DED for an additional two years, through June 30, 2026, citing the same reasons as when he extended DED for Liberians in 2022.¹⁶¹

Nepal

Nepal was devastated by a massive earthquake on April 25, 2015, killing over 8,000 people. The earthquake and subsequent aftershocks demolished much of Nepal's housing and infrastructure in many areas. Over half a million homes were reportedly destroyed.¹⁶² On June 24, 2015, citing a substantial but temporary disruption in living conditions as a result of the earthquake, then-Secretary of DHS Jeh Johnson designated Nepal for TPS for an 18-month period.¹⁶³ TPS for Nepal was extended for 18 months in October 2016.¹⁶⁴

On April 26, 2018, then-Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen announced her decision to terminate the TPS designation for Nepal, citing her assessment that the original conditions under which the country was designated were no longer substantial and that Nepal could adequately handle the return of its nationals.¹⁶⁵ A 12-month delay of the termination date to allow for an orderly transition was also announced; the TPS designation for Nepal was thus set to terminate on June 24, 2019.¹⁶⁶ The termination did not take effect due to a legal challenge.¹⁶⁷ On June 13, 2023, DHS announced that it was rescinding the Trump Administration's termination of Nepal's designation (along with those for three Central American countries, as described above) and extending it for an additional 18 months, through June 24, 2025.¹⁶⁸ The notice rescinding the termination stated that Nepal "continued to experience significant challenges due to the destruction caused by the earthquake and subsequent landslides that hampered reconstruction that were not sufficiently considered in the termination decision."¹⁶⁹

In June 2025, Secretary Noem announced her decision to terminate Nepal's TPS designation, effective August 5, 2025.¹⁷⁰ The notice cited "notable improvements in environmental disaster preparedness and response capacity, as well as substantial reconstruction from the earthquake's destruction such that there is no longer a disruption of living conditions and Nepal is able to handle adequately the return of its nationals." The termination is subject to a legal challenge.¹⁷¹ As of March 31, 2025, 7,160 nationals of Nepal were covered by TPS according to USCIS.¹⁷²

Palestinians

Four months into the war in Gaza that followed the October 2023 attacks and hostage-taking (led by the Palestinian Sunni Islamist group Hamas) in Israel, President Biden issued a memorandum on February 14, 2024, granting DED to certain Palestinians in the United States through August 13, 2025, and citing "significantly deteriorated" humanitarian conditions in the "Palestinian territories, and primarily Gaza."¹⁷³ The conflict, which remains ongoing, has resulted in tens of thousands of casualties and generated a humanitarian crisis in Gaza amid mass displacement.¹⁷⁴

Before the DED grant expired on August 13, 2025, eligible individuals could apply to DHS for work authorization and would not be subject to removal from the United States for 18 months from the date of the memorandum. Non-U.S. citizens of any nationality (or those with no nationality) who are Palestinian were eligible. Individuals who returned voluntarily to "Palestinian territories" (the West Bank and Gaza) after February 14, 2024, or who had not continuously resided in the United States since February 14, 2024, were ineligible. Palestinians who pose certain security or foreign policy risks were also ineligible.¹⁷⁵

Somalia

Somalia has endured decades of chronic instability and humanitarian crises. Since the collapse of the authoritarian Siad Barre regime in 1991, it has lacked a viable central authority capable of exerting territorial control, securing its borders, or providing security and services to its people.¹⁷⁶ Somalia was first designated for TPS in 1991 based on "extraordinary and temporary conditions … that prevent aliens who are nationals of Somalia from returning to Somalia in safety."¹⁷⁷ Through 27 subsequent extensions or redesignations, Somalia has maintained TPS due to insecurity and ongoing armed conflict that present serious threats to the safety of returnees. Most recently, Secretary Mayorkas extended Somalia's designation for another 18 months through March 17, 2026; at the same time, he redesignated Somalia, moving the cutoff date forward and thereby allowing additional individuals who have been continuously residing in the United States since July 12, 2024, to apply.¹⁷⁸ DHS estimated that approximately 4,300 individuals may become newly eligible for TPS under the redesignation of Somalia.¹⁷⁹ As of March 31, 2025, 705 nationals of Somalia were covered by TPS according to USCIS.¹⁸⁰

Sudan and South Sudan

Decades of civil war preceded South Sudan's secession from the Republic of Sudan in 2011.¹⁸¹ Citing both ongoing armed conflict and extraordinary and temporary conditions that would prevent the safe return of Sudanese nationals, the Attorney General designated Sudan for TPS on November 4, 1997. Since then, Sudan has been redesignated or had its designation extended 16 times.

On July 9, 2011, South Sudan became a new nation.¹⁸² With South Sudan's independence from the Republic of Sudan, questions arose about whether nationals of the new nation would continue to be eligible for TPS. In response, then-Secretary Napolitano designated South Sudan for TPS on October 17, 2011.¹⁸³ Civil war broke out there in 2013, and TPS has been extended or redesignated ten times since 2011 due to ongoing armed conflict and extraordinary and temporary conditions in South Sudan. The 2023 extension announcement cited "violence and human rights abuses affecting civilians, as well as environmental, health, and food security concerns."¹⁸⁴ That extension was for 18 months and was accompanied by a redesignation, which allows nationals of South Sudan who have been continuously residing in the United States since September 3, 2023, to apply for TPS.

South Sudan's designation was set to expire on May 3, 2025,¹⁸⁵ but was automatically extended for six months, until November 3, 2025. By statute, if the Secretary does not make a determination about whether a country continues to meet the conditions for designation 60 days prior to the current designation's expiration, the designation is automatically extended for six months.¹⁸⁶ The Federal Register notice announcing the six-month extension stated, "The Secretary was unable to make an informed determination on South Sudan's designation by the March 4, 2025 statutory deadline due to the lack of an updated analysis of current country conditions in South Sudan."¹⁸⁷ As of March 31, 2025, 210 nationals of South Sudan were covered by TPS according to USCIS.¹⁸⁸

In September 2017, citing improved conditions in Sudan including a reduction in violence and an increase in food harvests, then-Acting DHS Secretary Duke announced that Sudan's TPS designation would expire on November 2, 2018.¹⁸⁹ The termination was put on hold due to a legal challenge.¹⁹⁰

On March 2, 2022, Secretary Mayorkas announced a new, 18-month designation for Sudan based on extraordinary and temporary conditions that prevent Sudanese from returning safely. The announcement stated, "The recent military takeover of Sudan's government has triggered political instability, violence, and human rights abuses against civilians. A humanitarian crisis linked to unprecedented floods; food and clean water shortages; violence between the communities of Darfur, Blue Nile, and South Kordofan; and internal displacement is ongoing."¹⁹¹ This new designation applied to nationals of Sudan who had been living in the United States since March 1, 2022, including those who benefited from the previous TPS designation for Sudan.¹⁹² Civil war broke out in Sudan in April 2023. In August 2023, DHS extended Sudan's designation for another 18 months, through April 19, 2025, based on extraordinary and temporary conditions.¹⁹³ DHS also redesignated Sudan for TPS, allowing additional Sudanese nationals who have been residing in the United States since August 16, 2023, to apply for TPS. DHS estimates that an additional 2,750 Sudanese may be eligible for TPS under this redesignation.¹⁹⁴ In January 2025, Secretary Mayorkas extended Sudan's designation for an additional 18 months, through October 19, 2026.¹⁹⁵ As of March 31, 2025, 1,790 nationals of Sudan were covered by TPS according to USCIS.¹⁹⁶

Syria

The political uprising of 2011 in Syria grew into a protracted civil war; as of early 2025, 4.4 million Syrians were registered as refugees in neighboring countries and 7.4 million had been internally displaced.¹⁹⁷ In 2012, then-Secretary Napolitano designated Syria for TPS, citing temporary extraordinary conditions that would make it unsafe for Syrian nationals already in the United States to return to the country.¹⁹⁸ In the press release announcing the 2012 designation, the Secretary made clear that DHS would conduct full background checks on Syrians registering for TPS.¹⁹⁹

TPS for Syrian nationals has since been extended in 18-month increments on the bases of ongoing armed conflict and extraordinary and temporary conditions. The 2016 extension was accompanied by a redesignation, which updated the required arrival date into the United States for Syrians from January 5, 2015, to August 1, 2016.²⁰⁰ The first Trump Administration subsequently extended Syria's designation twice without redesignating; thus, Syrians who entered the United States after August 1, 2016, remained ineligible.²⁰¹ The Biden Administration extended (for 18 months each) and redesignated Syria for TPS three times.²⁰² The latest redesignation allowed Syrian nationals who had been residing in the United States since January 25, 2024, to apply for TPS. DHS estimated that approximately 2,500 individuals would be newly eligible for TPS under the latest redesignation, which is set to expire on September 30, 2025.²⁰³ As of March 31, 2025, 3,860 nationals of Syria were covered by TPS according to USCIS.²⁰⁴

Ukraine

On February 24, 2022, Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.²⁰⁵ The United States and its allies condemned the invasion and provided military, economic, and humanitarian assistance to Ukraine; imposed trade and financial sanctions on Russia; and enhanced their own military deterrence posture.²⁰⁶ The invasion triggered massive refugee flows to neighboring countries and led to millions of people being internally displaced.²⁰⁷

On March 3, 2022, Secretary Mayorkas announced the designation of Ukraine for TPS for 18 months.²⁰⁸ DHS cited the armed conflict and extraordinary conditions that prevented Ukrainians from returning safely to Ukraine. The announcement stated, "This invasion has caused a humanitarian crisis with significant numbers of individuals fleeing and damage to civilian infrastructure that has left many without electricity or water or access to food, basic supplies, shelter, and emergency medical services."²⁰⁹ DHS estimated that 59,600 Ukrainians would be eligible to apply.²¹⁰

In August 2023, DHS extended Ukraine's designation for another 18 months, through April 19, 2025, citing ongoing armed conflict and extraordinary and temporary conditions.²¹¹ DHS also redesignated Ukraine for TPS, allowing additional Ukrainian nationals who had been residing in the United States since August 16, 2023, to apply for TPS. DHS estimated that an additional 166,700 Ukrainian nationals would be eligible for TPS under this redesignation.²¹² In January 2025, Secretary Mayorkas extended Ukraine's designation for an additional 18 months, through October 19, 2026, citing ongoing armed conflict and widespread humanitarian suffering.²¹³ As of March 31, 2025, 101,150 nationals of Ukraine were covered by TPS according to USCIS.²¹⁴

Venezuela

Venezuela is in a deep crisis under the authoritarian rule of Nicolás Maduro. Narrowly elected in 2013 after the death of populist President Hugo Chávez, Maduro began a second term in January 2019 that was widely considered illegitimate.²¹⁵ Maduro also claimed victory in the July 2024 presidential election, but international observers concluded that the election did not meet international standards. By most accounts, Maduro's government has mismanaged the economy and engaged in massive corruption, exacerbating the effects of a decline in global oil prices and production on the country's economy. Shortages in food and medicine, declines in purchasing power, and a collapse of social services have created a humanitarian crisis.²¹⁶

During 2019, some Members of Congress and nonprofit organizations requested that the Trump Administration designate Venezuela for TPS,²¹⁷ and the House passed a bill (H.R. 549) that would have designated Venezuela for TPS for 18 months.²¹⁸ A Senate effort in July 2020 to pass H.R. 549 by unanimous consent failed. In response to a letter requesting TPS for Venezuela, the acting director of USCIS stated that USCIS would not recommend any new countries for TPS "until such time as federal courts resume following federal law," referring to court decisions to enjoin the Trump Administration's terminations of TPS designations for several countries.²¹⁹ The first Trump Administration never designated Venezuela for TPS. However, on the last full day of his first term, President Trump granted DED for 18 months for Venezuelans present in the United States as of January 20, 2021, asserting that the Maduro regime was responsible for "the worst humanitarian crisis in the Western Hemisphere in recent memory."²²⁰ Venezuela's DED grant expired on July 20, 2022.

The Biden Administration determined that Venezuela met the statutory conditions for a TPS designation on the basis of extraordinary and temporary conditions.²²¹ Unlike DED, designating Venezuela for TPS allows those who qualify to obtain documentation of their status;²²² it also requires that the Administration reconsider country conditions on a periodic basis and extend or terminate the status accordingly.²²³ On March 8, 2021, Secretary Mayorkas announced an 18-month TPS designation for Venezuela, citing the following factors:

economic contraction; inflation and hyperinflation; deepening poverty; high levels of unemployment; reduced access to and shortages of food and medicine; a severely weakened medical system; the reappearance or increased incidence of certain communicable diseases; a collapse in basic services; water, electricity, and fuel shortages; political polarization; institutional and political tensions; human rights abuses and repression; crime and violence; corruption; increased human mobility and displacement (including internal migration, emigration, and return); and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, among other factors.²²⁴

USCIS estimated that approximately 323,000 individuals were eligible to file applications for TPS under this designation of Venezuela.²²⁵

On July 11, 2022, DHS announced an 18-month extension of Venezuela's TPS.²²⁶ Despite calls to allow Venezuelans who arrived after March 8, 2021, to apply for TPS,²²⁷ the extension was not accompanied by a redesignation to move the arrival date forward.²²⁸ However, in September 2023, six months before Venezuela's TPS designation was set to expire, Secretary Mayorkas announced that an extension and redesignation were warranted "based on Venezuela's increased instability and lack of safety due to the enduring humanitarian, security, political, and environmental conditions."²²⁹

Unlike most extensions that are accompanied by a redesignation, this extension and redesignation were separate actions that applied to distinct populations. The extension—which began on March 11, 2024, and goes through September 10, 2025—applied to individuals who arrived in the United States on or before March 8, 2021, and were covered by the initial TPS designation from 2021.²³⁰ The redesignation applied to those who arrived by July 31, 2023, and had an expiration date of April 2, 2025.²³¹ In an effort to deter additional migration from Venezuela based on hopes of qualifying for TPS, Secretary Mayorkas noted in a press release that, "it is critical that Venezuelans understand that those who have arrived here after July 31, 2023, are not eligible for such protection, and instead will be removed when they are found to not have a legal basis to stay."²³² DHS estimated that the redesignation would make approximately 472,000 additional Venezuelans in the United States eligible for TPS.²³³

A few days before the end of the Biden Administration, Secretary Mayorkas announced an 18-month extension of Venezuela's 2023 designation, which had been set to expire on April 2, 2025.²³⁴ The Federal Register notice announcing the extension stated that Venezuelans registered for TPS under both the 2023 and 2021 designations could apply to extend their status through October 2, 2026.²³⁵ Shortly after taking office, Secretary Noem vacated²³⁶ Secretary Mayorkas's decision and announced a termination of Venezuela's 2023 designation.²³⁷ In her decision, she stated that her review of country conditions had revealed "notable improvements in several areas such as the economy, public health, and crime that allow for these nationals to be safely returned to their home country."²³⁸ Secretary Noem also argued that "even assuming the relevant conditions in Venezuela remain both 'extraordinary' and 'temporary,' termination of the 2023 Venezuela TPS designation is required because it is contrary to the national interest" to allow Venezuelan TPS recipients to remain temporarily in the country; she cited public safety, foreign policy, migration, and economic concerns.²³⁹ The termination was the subject of a lawsuit.²⁴⁰ As of the cover date of this report, the termination has taken effect, but certain beneficiaries are to maintain their status during the course of the litigation.²⁴¹

As of March 31, 2025, 605,015 nationals of Venezuela were covered by TPS: 252,825 under the 2021 designation and 352,190 under the 2023 redesignation according to USCIS.²⁴²

Yemen

On September 3, 2015, Yemen was designated for TPS for 18 months due to ongoing armed conflict in the country.²⁴³ A 2015 DHS press release stated that "requiring Yemeni nationals in the United States to return to Yemen would pose a serious threat to their personal safety."²⁴⁴ Since 2015, the war in Yemen has internally displaced more than 4.3 million people.²⁴⁵ According to a 2022 United Nations report, Yemen is experiencing one of the world's worst humanitarian crises, with nearly three-quarters of the population in need of humanitarian assistance.²⁴⁶ Relief efforts in the region have been complicated by ongoing violence and considerable damage to the country's infrastructure.²⁴⁷

On January 4, 2017, DHS extended and redesignated Yemen's TPS designation through September 3, 2018. The redesignation updated the required arrival date into the United States for individuals from Yemen from September 3, 2015, to January 4, 2017.²⁴⁸ The Federal Register notice explained that the "continued deterioration of the conditions for civilians in Yemen and the resulting need to offer protection to individuals who have arrived in the United States after the eligibility cutoff dates" warranted the redesignation of TPS.²⁴⁹ The first Trump Administration twice extended Yemen's TPS designation for durations of 18 months each, but kept the arrival cutoff date the same.²⁵⁰ The Biden Administration extended and redesignated Yemen's TPS three times (in July 2021, January 2023, and July 2024), citing ongoing armed conflict and extraordinary conditions, including "high levels of food insecurity, limited access to water and medical care, and the large-scale destruction of Yemen's infrastructure."²⁵¹ Each extension was for 18 months, and the latest one is set to expire on March 3, 2026.²⁵² As of March 31, 2025, 1,380 nationals of Yemen were covered by TPS according to USCIS.²⁵³

State of Residence of TPS Recipients

Individuals with TPS reside in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. territories. The largest populations live in traditional immigrant gateway states: Florida, Texas, New York, and California. In addition to these, 15 other states had at least 10,000 TPS recipients as of March 31, 2025: Georgia, Illinois, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Indiana, Maryland, North Carolina, Virginia, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Utah, Washington, Colorado, and South Carolina (see Figure 1 and Table 3). Thirty-one percent of those covered by TPS reside in Florida; most of these individuals are Venezuelan (57%) or Haitian (36%).

Figure 1. Individuals with Temporary Protected Status by State of Residence As of March 31, 2025

Source: CRS presentation of data provided by USCIS. Notes: These data reflect the number of individuals (rounded to the nearest five) with an approved TPS application as of March 31, 2025, who had not obtained LPR status or U.S. citizenship. The data may include individuals who have moved to another state, left the country, or died since their last TPS approval, and do not necessarily include all nationals from the specified countries who are in the United States and are eligible for the status.

Long-Standing TPS Designations

During the congressional discussions that preceded the creation of TPS in 1990, questions arose about what to do in the case of protracted crises in designated countries. Should there be a maximum time limit for TPS designations? Should TPS beneficiaries who had been covered for a certain length of time be eligible to adjust to LPR status?²⁵⁴ Congress did not enact provisions directly addressing these questions. However, it did include a limitation on Congress providing adjustment of status to TPS beneficiaries. Section 244(h) of the INA (8 U.S.C. §1254a(h)) states that the consideration of any bill, resolution, or amendment that provides for the adjustment to lawful temporary or lawful permanent resident status of any TPS recipient "shall not be in order in the Senate" unless a supermajority (i.e., three-fifths of all Senators) votes to waive this rule.

Over the years, Congress has provided for the adjustment to LPR status of certain groups of foreign nationals who had been given TPS or DED. In 1992, Congress enacted legislation allowing Chinese nationals who had DED following the Tiananmen Square massacre to adjust to LPR status (P.L. 102-404). The Nicaraguan Adjustment and Central American Relief Act (NACARA) (Title II of P.L. 105-100), which became law in 1997, provided eligibility for LPR status to certain Nicaraguans, Cubans, Guatemalans, Salvadorans (some of whom were covered by TPS), and nationals of the former Soviet bloc who had applied for asylum and had been living in the United States for a certain period of time. The 116^th Congress incorporated provisions into the FY2020 National Defense Authorization Act allowing Liberians who had been continuously present in the United States since November 2014 (many of whom had been covered by TPS and/or DED) and their family members to apply for LPR status.²⁵⁵ President Trump signed it into law on December 20, 2019 (P.L. 116-92, §7611).

Over the past decade, there has been debate about whether other groups of foreign nationals who have been living in the United States for long periods of time with TPS or DED should have a pathway to LPR status. In particular, the large number of Central Americans and Haitians with TPS who have decades of U.S. residence and resulting substantial economic and family ties have led some to support a pathway to LPR status for TPS holders from El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, and Nicaragua (among others). Supporters have argued that ongoing violence, political unrest, and subsequent natural disasters have left these countries unable to adequately handle the return of their nationals and that a large-scale return could have negative consequences for the U.S. economy and labor supply, American families, foreign relations, and the flow of remittances sent by TPS beneficiaries living in the United States to their relatives abroad.²⁵⁶ Opponents have argued that ending the TPS designations for these countries is consistent with congressional intent—to provide temporary safe haven—and that the conditions that warranted the original designations based on natural disasters are no longer extant.²⁵⁷ The second Trump Administration has taken this view and argued that long-standing TPS designations represent an abuse of congressional intent.²⁵⁸ It has terminated every TPS designation due to expire to date, with the exception of South Sudan.²⁵⁹

Legislative Activity in Recent Congresses

Bills related to TPS and DED have been introduced in recent Congresses. A few have seen legislative action. One has been enacted. The FY2025 budget reconciliation act (P.L. 119-21), which was enacted into law on July 4, 2025, increased the TPS application fee and the employment authorization fee for TPS holders.

Two other bills that would have provided LPR status to certain TPS and DED recipients passed the House in the 117^th Congress. Title II of the American Dream and Promise Act of 2021 (H.R. 6) would have allowed individuals who were eligible for TPS as of January 1, 2017, or DED as of January 20, 2021, and who had been in the United States for three years to become LPRs. These provisions would have applied to nationals of 14 countries. H.R. 6 also included a provision (§203) that would have clarified that TPS recipients are considered "inspected and admitted" for purposes of adjustment to LPR status.²⁶⁰ The Farm Workforce Modernization Act of 2021 (H.R. 1603) would have established a process for certain farm workers in the United States to obtain a legal temporary status and then LPR status. TPS and DED recipients who met the farm work and other requirements under the bill would have been eligible. H.R. 6 and H.R. 1603 passed the House on March 18, 2021. The Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing on H.R. 6; no further action was taken on either bill during the 117^th Congress. Similar bills saw no legislative action in the 118^th Congresses and have seen no legislative action in the 119^th Congress as of the cover date of this report.²⁶¹

Other bills on TPS and DED introduced in recent Congresses have received no action beyond committee referral. Bills before the 119^th Congress include measures that would designate certain countries for TPS,²⁶² or make TPS and DED beneficiaries eligible for federal financial aid for higher education.²⁶³ Other introduced bills seek to limit TPS or DED, such as by requiring an act of Congress to designate a country for TPS,²⁶⁴ nullifying DED for Palestinians,²⁶⁵ or making ineligible for TPS individuals who (1) are members of criminal gangs,²⁶⁶ (2) hold travel documents issued by the Palestinian Authority,²⁶⁷ or (3) lack a lawful immigration status.²⁶⁸ One bill introduced in the 118^th Congress that has not been reintroduced to date during the 119^th Congress would have taken a multi-pronged approach that included requiring congressional approval for extensions of TPS designations beyond a country's first extension; prohibiting designations for countries whose designations had been terminated in the previous 18 months under certain conditions; making individuals who entered the United States unlawfully ineligible for TPS; limiting DHS authority to waive certain grounds of inadmissibility for TPS applicants; and imposing additional restrictions on TPS recipients who travel abroad.²⁶⁹

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