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SAN FRANCISCO — A federal judge in San Francisco on Thursday ordered a halt to the Trump administration’s decisions ending Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for 60,000 people from Honduras, Nepal, and Nicaragua while the case proceeds.
The ruling in NTPSA II v. Noem comes five days before Nepali TPS holders were slated to lose their legal status and work authorization, and temporarily extended TPS protections until at least a hearing on the merits on November 18, 2025. Honduran and Nicaraguan TPS holders were set to lose their legal status and work authorization on September 6 (for Honduras and Nicaragua).
Judge Trina Thompson started her opinion: “The freedom to live fearlessly, the opportunity of liberty, and the American dream. That is all Plaintiffs seek.”
“Today’s court decision is a powerful affirmation of our humanity and our right to live without fear. As a TPS holder and mother, this victory means safety, hope, and the chance to keep building our lives here. We stand united, grateful, and determined to continue the fight for a permanent future in the country we call home,” said Sandhya Lama, a TPS holder plaintiff from Nepal.
All TPS holders affected by the ruling have lived lawfully in the United States for over 10 years for Nepali TPS holders, and over 26 years for Honduran and Nicaraguan TPS holders. The DHS decisions had granted them only 60 days–the minimum permitted by law–to get their affairs in order.
“Anyone who wonders who is being impacted by President Trump’s brutal immigration policies need look no further than his administration’s decision to strip lawful status from tens of thousands of TPS holders who have lived lawfully in this country for decades, in many cases, raising US citizen children, starting businesses, and contributing to their communities as pastors, nurses, and union leaders,” said Jessica Bansal, attorney at the National Day Laborer Organization who represents the plaintiffs. “We welcome the court’s decision today postponing these cruel and illegal decisions and we renew our commitment to defend the courageous, beautiful TPS holder community against this Administration’s unlawful actions.”
Judge Thompson ruled that Plaintiffs were likely to succeed in their claims that the termination decision decisions were motivated by racial animus, and based on a preordained determination to end the TPS program, rather than an objective review of the country conditions.
“Today’s ruling will allow for due process for TPS holders from Nepal, Honduras, and Nicaragua,” said UCLA Center for Immigration Law and Policy Co-Director Ahilan Arulanantham. “These individuals have been working and contributing to their communities in the United States for decades. Under the Court's order, these long-time lawful residents will have an opportunity to show that the federal government’s rush to strip their protections violates the rules Congress set in place."
“Judge Thompson’s decision renews hope for our immigrant communities—especially for the tens of thousands of TPS holders from Honduras, Nicaragua, and Nepal who have lived here for decades and are part of the National TPS Alliance,” said Teofilo Martinez, a Honduran TPS Holder, plaintiff, and leader in the National TPS Alliance. “This ruling gives us strength, affirms the power of organizing, and reminds us what’s at stake: the right to stay in the only home many of us have ever known. We will keep fighting for permanent protections and to stop the cruel separation of our families.”
“The Trump administration is aggressively, and illegally, seeking to dismantle TPS. But they will not do so without a fight,” said Emi MacLean, attorney at the ACLU of Northern California. “Today is a good day. 60,000 long-term residents of the US, who have followed all the rules, will be allowed to remain in the US and continue to defend their rights inside and outside of court.”
The plaintiffs are represented by the National Day Laborer Organizing Network (NDLON), the ACLU Foundations of Northern California and Southern California, the Center for Immigration Law and Policy (CILP) at the UCLA School of Law, ACLU Foundations of Northern California and Southern California, and Haitian Bridge Alliance. More information about the case is available here. The decision is available here.
