January 31— Almost three years to the day after announcing the Muslim ban, the Trump administration today extended the ban to four additional countries, Eritrea, Kyrgyzstan, Myanmar, and Nigeria. The administration has also banned citizens of Sudan and Tanzania from applying for diversity visas.

“This new travel ban has nothing to do with the security of the United States and everything to do with xenophobia,” said Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota executive director Veena Iyer. “The new ban bars immigration from two additional African countries. Together with Somalia, which remains subject to the first Muslim ban, these countries account for 18 percent of the population of Africa. This cruel ban further separates and threatens immigrant and refugee families.”

“This extended ban will also affect the family members living abroad of a significant number of Karen and Karenni refugees from Myanmar/Burma and Eritrean refugees and immigrants who now live here,” said Iyer. “This action will directly harm Minnesota communities.”

The U.S. ban on immigration from Myanmar/Burma comes only eight days after the International Court of Justice at The Hague ruled against that country for its genocidal repression of Rohingya people.

The ban is one more step in the Trump administration’s efforts to erect a wall against legal immigration by people of color, Muslims, women, and the working class. This ban will also have a profound impact on LGBTQ refugees and religious and ethnic minorities who face widespread persecution.

Beginning on January 27, 2017, the first Muslim travel ban created massive human suffering, separating tens of thousands of U.S. citizens and legal residents from their families, denying medical treatment to those in desperate need, ending professional and educational opportunities, and depriving U.S. employers of valued employees. This ban was challenged, overturned in court, rewritten several times, and finally squeaked by the U.S. Supreme Court on administration promises to make humanitarian exceptions: promises that have been repeatedly ignored and broken. Today’s expansion of the administration’s immigration and travel bans will harm even more families and individuals, both in the United States and abroad.

(Updated on 05.13.2024)

Who Has TPS Now and When Does TPS End?

• TPS has been granted to residents of 27 countries and the province of Kosovo since it was created by Congress in the Immigration Act of 1990.
• Only DHS can grant or extend TPS, but Congress could create a pathway to permanent residence for people with TPS
• As of March 31, 2023 there were approximately 610,630 people with TPS living in the United States. In addition, approximately 169,590 people may be eligible for TPS under three re-designations announced by Biden since that date.
• Here is the list of current designations and end dates.

 

Country	Status of TPS	Current end date
Afghanistan	Extended and re-designated by DHS on September 21, 2023	May 20, 2025
Burma	Extended and re-designated by DHS on March 22, 2024	Nov. 25, 2025
Cameroon	Extended and re-designated by DHS on October 6, 2023	June 7, 2025
El Salvador	Terminated by DHS, extended by court order, and extended by DHS on June 21, 2023 EADs extended until June 30, 2024	March 9, 2025 Also, as long as the preliminary injunction in Ramos remains in effect.
Ethiopia	Extended and re-designated by DHS on April 12, 2024	Dec. 12, 2025
Haiti	DHS announced the extension and re-designation for TPS for Haiti on December 5, 2022. 2011 designation – extended by DHS, EADs extended until June 30, 2024	12.05.22: Aug. 3, 2024 11.10.2022 extension: As long as the preliminary injunction in Ramos remains in effect.
Honduras	Terminated by DHS, extended by court order, and extended by DHS on June 21, 2023 EADs extended until June 30, 2024	July 5, 2025 Also as long as the preliminary injunction in Ramos and the existing stay of proceedings order in Bhattarai v. Nielsen remain in effect
Nepal	Terminated by DHS, extended by court order, and extended by DHS on June 21, 2023 EADs extended until June 30, 2024	June 24, 2025 Also as long as the preliminary injunction in Ramos and the existing stay of proceedings order in Bhattarai v. Nielsen remain in effect
Nicaragua	Terminated by DHS, extended by court order, and extended by DHS on June 21, 2023 EADs extended until June 30, 2024	July 5, 2025 Also as long as the preliminary injunction in Ramos remains in effect.
Somalia	Extended and re-designated by DHS on January 12, 2023	Sep. 17, 2024
Sudan	Extended and re-designated by DHS on August 18, 2023 2013 designation – extended by DHS, EADs extended until June 30, 2024	08.18.22 – April 19, 2025 11.10.22 extension: as long as the preliminary injunction in Ramos remains in effect.
South Sudan	Extended and re-designated by DHS on September 9, 2023	May 3, 2025
Syria	Extended and re-designated by DHS on January 26, 2024	Sep. 30, 2025
Ukraine	Extended and re-designated by DHS on August 18, 2023	April 19, 2025
Venezuela	Terminated 2023 designation on February 5, 2025	Sep. 10, 2025 for 2021 designation, April 7, 2025 for 2023 designation
Yemen	Extended and re-designated by DHS on December 30, 2022	Sep. 3, 2024

What is TPS?

TPS is a temporary status, granted because conditions in the home country  prevent safe return of that country’s nationals living in the United States, or because the home country temporarily is unable to accept their return. TPS has been extended year after year when country conditions have not improved, so that many TPS holders have lived in the United States for decades, with strong ties to work, families, and communities

TPS is granted, ended, or changed by DHS. A country can be designated for TPS due to conditions that prevent the country’s nationals from returning home safely. Granting TPS is entirely within the discretion of the Department of Homeland Security. TPS is granted for three reasons: ongoing armed conflict (such as civil war); an environmental disaster (such as earthquake or hurricane), or an epidemic; other extraordinary and temporary conditions.

TPS applies only to people who are already inside the United States—it cannot be used to apply for entry to the United States.

During the designated TPS period, TPS holders are not removable from the United States and not detainable by DHS based on their immigration status. TPS holders are eligible for an employment authorization document (EAD), and eligible for travel authorization. 

Is TPS status given automatically? 

No, TPS is not automatic. People must apply, pay a filing fee, and pass immigration screening. The application process can be complicated, and we recommend contacting a licensed immigration attorney. The registration period for eligible individuals to submit TPS applications is stated in the Federal Register Notice for each country with TPS. 

How long will eligible individuals have protection under TPS? 

TPS is a temporary status, granted because conditions in the home country  prevent safe return of that country’s nationals living in the United States, or because the home country temporarily is unable to accept their return. TPS has been extended year after year when country conditions have not improved, so that many TPS holders have lived in the United States for decades, with strong ties to work, families, and communities

People with TPS are not subject to deportation and can get work permits, but TPS does not give them a path to permanent residence or citizenship. Only DHS can grant or extend TPS, but Congress could create a pathway to permanent residence for people with TPS and similar statuses, as it did on December 26, 2019 for Liberians who have lived in the United States since November 20, 2014.

What is the difference between the designation period and the registration period?

The registration period determines how long individuals have to apply for TPS. The designation period determines how long TPS and the protections under TPS are valid.

Contributions to U.S. Society and Economy

The Center for Migration Studies analyzed the TPS beneficiaries from Haiti, Honduras, and El Salvador and found:

• The labor force participation rate of the TPS population from the three nations ranges from 81 to 88 percent, which is well above the rate for the total U.S. population (63 percent) and the foreign-born population (66 percent).
• Roughly 30 percent own homes in the United States.
• About 68,000, or 22 percent, of the TPS population from these nations arrived as children under the age of 16.
• TPS beneficiaries from these nations have 273,000 U.S. citizen children.
• More than one-half of El Salvadoran and Honduran, and 16 percent of the Haitian TPS beneficiaries have resided in the United States for 20 years or more.
• Eighty-seven percent of the TPS population from these countries speaks at least some English, and slightly over one-half speak English well, very well, or only speak English.
• About 27,000, or 11 percent, of those in the labor force are self-employed, having created jobs for themselves and likely for others as well.

For more information:

• Temporary Protected Status (U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services website)
• Temporary Protected Status (U.S. Department of Justice Executive Office for Immigration Review website)
• A Statistical and Demographic Profile of the US Temporary Protected Status Populations from El Salvador, Honduras, and Haiti (Center for Migration Studies, 2017)
• Temporary Protected Status: An Overview (American Immigration Council)

Printable PDF fact sheet