Trump Administration to End Temporary Amnesty for Nicaraguans After 20 Years

The Department of Homeland Security indicated Monday that it would end a quasi-amnesty program for 5,300 people in the U.S. from Nicaragua, but extend it for 86,000 people from Honduras.

The U.S. had originally granted Temporary Protected Status to people from both countries after they were ravaged by Hurricane Mitch in 1998. Administration officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, told reporters late Monday that Acting Secretary Elaine Duke had determined that additional time is needed to consider the case of Honduras, triggering an automatic six-month extension.

The officials said Duke decided to end the program for 5,300 Nicaraguans but would delay implementation for a year. That means that the recipients will revert to their former immigration status on Jan. 5, 2019, rather than this coming January 5.

“The 12-month delayed effective date will allow for an orderly transition and provide time for TPS beneficiaries to seek an alternative lawful immigration status in the United States, if eligible, or if necessary, arrange for their departure,” the official said.

The official noted that while the Nicaraguan government had not objected to termination of TPS for its citizens living in the United States, the Honduran government had asked that it be continued.

Although the program is designed to provide temporary relief to people whose home countries are experiencing an emergency, the federal government periodically has extended the program for Nicaraguans and Hondurans. They are among 13 countries whose citizens enjoy TPS status.

Duke’s decision follows a determination made last week by Secretary of State Rex Tillerson that current conditions no longer justify TPS status for people from those countries or those from El Salvador and Haiti.

The approach to Nicaragua is similar to the one that President Donald Trump’s administration took when it decided to end TPS for Sudanese citizens but delay implementation. Given that, it is not surprising that the administration included a delay in its decision on Nicaragua, according to one immigration expert.

“I don’t think any reasonable person actually thought it would end immediately,” said Jessica Vaughan, director of policy studies at the Center for Immigration Studies. “It seems to me that a one-year grace period is very, very generous considering the offer of the government has always been a temporary period.”

The administration official said only Congress could offer permanent relief to TPS recipients.

“That is up to Congress, but the administration would support Congress’s efforts to find such a solution,” he said.

The officials said that the Nicaraguans would lose their work authorization when their status expires Jan. 5, 2019, and would have to leave the country by then if they cannot convert to another immigration status. But he suggested most of them probably do not have to worry about Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers knocking down their doors.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services officers do not proactively share information with ICE, he said, and few TPS beneficiaries would be a high enforcement priority.

Vaughan said illegal immigrants losing TPS should feel pressure to return their home countries, but she predicted that advocacy groups will encourage them to fight it.

Nicaragua is still a semi-Marxist country, run by longtime killer Ortega. If these people fled from his regime, then treat them as political asylum seekers.

Nicaragua under Daniel Ortega, his brother, and convicted murderer Tomas Borge, was a conduit for arms and training for Central American and possibly South American communist terrorists.

The operated in the US through several front groups known as NISGUA, National Network in Solidary with Nicaragua, etc.

We need to know more about who is here from Nicaragua and why. They may be the best future US citizens since the Vietnamese, Cambodians and Laotians fled in the 1970s and 80’s.

I love all the winning.

I'm not sure I'd call it that just yet. Trump is basically doing what he did with DACA. He's forcing congress to do their job or these people will be deported. After this much time I'm not sure justice would be served by that unless they have a criminal record then they should have been sent back long ago.

Like everyone; I'm 100% against illegal entry into America. I'm not sure that's what this was. More like temporary asylum that ended up being ignored till now and more permanent but no President can do that; only congress so in order for these people to stay here indefinitely, which I'm sure they want to otherwise they would have gone home or elsewhere already, this would give them permanent residency.

Getting congress in the habit of actually doing its job rather than spend all their time at cocktail parties is a noble and worthy goal. It might even get them to pass some needed bills already before them; or rather on McConnell's desk.

Right now illegals are using the word "asylum" to stay here until their case can be heard in immigration court which can take years. Meanwhile they stay and take jobs from legal residents and citizens. This is wrong. They should have to go to some kind of work farm until their case is heard where they can earn their room and board and help feed others.

I don't get the feeling these Nicaraguans or Hondurans abused our system. I think they really were looking to escape a life-threatening situation. The question is should they go home now, should they be given the opportunity to stay with a green card, or should some other solution be found.

Key things need to happen first which President Trump has made clear. Chain migration must be stopped. Visa lottery must be stopped. People who were brought here against their will or as children could possibly be offered a path to citizenship under strict guidelines with no chain migration possible. For all practical purposes; they know no other home than here. Now if they were brought here as a 16 yo or older; forget it IMHO. All other illegals must go home ASAP. Only those here under truly asylum conditions and those brought here as young children should be considered for residency at this point IMHO.

I'd like to see birthright citizenship clarified such as at least one parent be an American citizen or possibly be here with consent of the government for permanent residency (a permanent green card); not a temporary visa for work or travel.

It's a real shame we have so many buttheads in congress today who are supposed to be on our side; the side of conservatism. People like McCain, Flake, Collins, Murkowski, etc. Once these fake republicans are gone and we still hold a majority and President Trump is in office plus we have a decent Senate leader; look out for some really good things to happen but until then these road blocks are holding us back. Shame on those fakes.

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