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Fact Sheet

Temporary Protected Status (TPS): Fact Sheet

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Humanitarian The Undocumented

Temporary Protected Status (TPS) is a government protection granted by the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to eligible foreign-born individuals who are unable to return home safely due to conditions or circumstances preventing their country from adequately handling the return.

When can the DHS Secretary designate a country for TPS?

The Secretary can designate a country for TPS due to:

  • Ongoing armed conflict (such as a civil war);
  • An environmental disaster (such as an earthquake or hurricane);
  • An epidemic; or,
  • Other extraordinary and temporary conditions.

Who is eligible for TPS?

TPS can be granted to an individual who is a national of a designated country, has filed for status during a specified registration period, and who has been continuously physically present in the U.S. since a designated date.

What are the benefits of TPS?

During a designated period, TPS holders are:

  • Not removable from the U.S. and not detainable by DHS on the basis of his or her immigration status;
  • Eligible for an Employment Authorization Document (EAD); and,
  • Eligible for travel authorization.

How many individuals are currently granted TPS?

As of September 23, 2024, the U.S. provides TPS protections to about 863,880 individuals from the following 16 countries.

  #  Designated Country    Approved Individuals  
  1    Venezuela  344,335
  2    Haiti    200,005
  3    El Salvador  180,375
  4    Honduras  54,290
  5    Ukraine  50,205
  6    Afghanistan  8,245
  7    Nepal  7,875
  8    Syria  3,865
  9    Cameroon  3,265
  10    Nicaragua  2,925
  11    Ethiopia  2,330
  12    Burma  2,320
  13    Yemen  1,840
  14    Sudan  1,190
  15    Somalia  555
  16    South Sudan  155

When do TPS designations expire?

The DHS Secretary can extend TPS after a review of country conditions. A decision concerning an extension must be made at least 60 days before the TPS designation is set to expire. The Secretary can extend the TPS designation for a six, 12 or 18-month period or decide to cancel the designation.

TPS extensions only apply to those who already have TPS status. Foreign nationals who arrive after the designated start date (i.e. “required arrival date”) are only made eligible for status if TPS is newly re-designated for their country.

  Designated Country    Required Arrival Date  Secretary’s Decision Due  Expiration Date  TPS Holders  TPS Eligible  
  Venezuela (2023)    07/31/2025  02/01/2025  April 7, 2025 (terminated)  ~ 100,000 (est.)  472,000
  South Sudan    09/02/2023  03/04/2025  May 3, 2025  155  ~ 280
  Afghanistan    09/20/2023  03/21/2025  May 20, 2025  8,245  17,700
  Cameroon    10/05/2023  04/08/2025  June 7, 2025  3,265  10,000
  Nepal    06/24/2015  04/25/2025  June 24, 2025  7,875  ~ 14,500  
  Honduras    12/30/1998  05/06/2025  July 5, 2025  54,290  ~ 76,000
  Nicaragua  12/30/1998  05/06/2025  July 5, 2025    2,925  ~ 4,000
  Haiti    06/03/2024  06/04/2025  August 3, 2025  200,005  474,000
  Venezuela (2021)    03/08/2021  07/12/2025  Sept. 10, 2025  ~ 242,200  323,000
  Syria    01/25/2024  08/01/2025  Sept. 30, 2025  3,865  8,200
  Burma    03/21/2024  09/26/2025  Nov. 25, 2025  2,320  7,300  
  Ethiopia    04/11/2024  10/13/2025  Dec. 12, 2025  2,330  12,800
  Yemen    07/02/2024  01/02/2026  March 3, 2026  1,840  4,000  
  Somalia    07/12/2024  01/16/2026  March 17, 2026  555  4,900
  El Salvador    03/09/2001  07/11/2026  Sept. 9, 2026  180,375  232,000
  Sudan    03/01/2022  08/20/2026  Oct. 19, 2026  1,190  3,950
  Ukraine    04/11/2022  08/20/2026  Oct. 19, 2026  50,205  103,700

On February 1, 2025, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem decided to terminate TPS protections for Venezuela under the 2023 designation. This move overturned a decision by the Biden administration to extend protections until October 2026. Secretary Noem’s decision ends access to TPS protections for up to 472,000 eligible individuals from Venezuela, including about 100,000 active TPS holders. On April 7, 2025, TPS holders under the 2023 designation for Venezuela will no longer have protection from deportation or be able to work legally in the U.S. For Venezuelans under the 2021 designation, TPS remains in place until September 2025, with a decision to extend the protections due in mid-July.

DHS announced on February 20 that Secretary Noem decided to amend the period of extension and redesignation of Haiti for TPS from 18 months to 12 months, with a new end date of August 3, 2025. Noem stated that the decision restores TPS to its “original status as temporary” and criticized the extension of Haiti and other countries at the end of the Biden administration as attempts to “tie the hands” of the Trump administration. Noem must still decide whether DHS will end TPS protections for Haiti, a decision that will impact close to half a million Haitians eligible for TPS.

What will happen to TPS holders whose countries’ designations were terminated?

Once TPS protection ends, a TPS holder will revert back to his or her previous immigration status. For those without legal status in the U.S., they will return to an undocumented status and potentially be subject to removal proceedings.

President Trump attempted to end TPS designations in his first administration for several countries, including El Salvador, Honduras, Nepal, Nicaragua, and Sudan. These decisions faced legal challenges. While the court cases were ongoing, federal courts generally permitted TPS holders to maintain their protections. On September 14, 2020, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit allowed the termination of TPS for El Salvador, Nicaragua, and Sudan to proceed. That decision was appealed and, once the Biden administration came into office in early 2021, settlement talks were initiated. On June 13, 2023, the Biden administration announced it was rescinding the Trump-era terminations.

Where do TPS holders live?

TPS holders reside all over the United States. As of September 23, 2024, the largest populations of TPS holders live in Florida (295,720), Texas (93,680), New York (67,840), California (67,800),  New Jersey (31,480), and Georgia (29,630).

  TPS Holders by State of Residence  
  #    State    TPS Holders  #  State  TPS Holders
1Florida295,72027Arizona3,095
2Texas93,68028Arkansas2,950
3New York67,84029Louisiana2,860
4California67,80030Washington, D.C.2,860
5New Jersey31,48031Missouri2,790
6Georgia29,63032Oregon2,705
7Maryland28,70033Alabama2,550
8Massachusetts27,78034Wisconsin2,400
9Virginia26,08035Kansas2,090
10North Carolina22,14036Iowa2,005
11Illinois19,73037Nebraska1,950
12Indiana18,77538Rhode Island1,340
13Ohio12,77539Mississippi675
14Pennsylvania11,95540Idaho605
15Tennessee10,29541New Hampshire520
16Utah10,21542New Mexico510
17Washington9,50043Maine455
18Colorado6,59044South Dakota355
19South Carolina5,83545North Dakota325
20Connecticut5,51046West Virginia320
21Minnesota4,72047Alaska315
22Nevada4,51048Hawaii230
23Michigan4,00049Montana155
24Kentucky3,22550Wyoming130
25Delaware3,18551Vermont80
26Oklahoma3,120#Other/Unknown4,820

How do TPS holders contribute to our economy?

TPS holders from El Salvador, Honduras, and Haiti contribute a combined $4.5 billion in pre-tax wages or salary income annually, as of April 2017. The total Social Security and Medicare contributions of those individuals is estimated at more than $6.9 billion over a ten-year span.

An estimated 130,000 TPS holders work as “essential critical infrastructure workers,” with more than 94 percent of TPS holders in the labor force as of 2017.

Updated March 2025

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