Appeals court allows Trump to end temporary protections for migrants from Central America and Nepal

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Updated: 3:54 PM CDT Aug 20, 2025

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A federal appeals court on Wednesday sided with the Trump administration and stayed a lower court’s order keeping in place temporary protections for 60,000 migrants from Central America and Nepal.Related video above: Ukranians face uncertain future as legal protections in U.S. expireThe 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco granted the emergency stay pending an appeal as immigrants rights advocates allege that the administration acted unlawfully in ending Temporary Protected Status designations for people from Honduras, Nicaragua and Nepal.Temporary Protected Status is a designation that can be granted by the Homeland Security secretary, preventing migrants from being deported and allowing them to work. The Trump administration has aggressively sought to remove the protection, thus making more people eligible for removal. It’s part of a wider effort by the administration to carry out mass deportations of immigrants.

WASHINGTON —

A federal appeals court on Wednesday sided with the Trump administration and stayed a lower court’s order keeping in place temporary protections for 60,000 migrants from Central America and Nepal.

Related video above: Ukranians face uncertain future as legal protections in U.S. expire

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco granted the emergency stay pending an appeal as immigrants rights advocates allege that the administration acted unlawfully in ending Temporary Protected Status designations for people from Honduras, Nicaragua and Nepal.

Temporary Protected Status is a designation that can be granted by the Homeland Security secretary, preventing migrants from being deported and allowing them to work. The Trump administration has aggressively sought to remove the protection, thus making more people eligible for removal. It’s part of a wider effort by the administration to carry out mass deportations of immigrants.