DHS Wins Emergency Bid to End Migrant Relief for Honduras, Nepal

Ninth Circuit stays order preserving deportation protections for immigrants from Honduras, Nicaragua, and Nepal

Published on Feb. 9, 2026

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The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has won an emergency bid to end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for immigrants from Honduras, Nicaragua, and Nepal. A Ninth Circuit panel found that DHS is likely to succeed in arguing that a San Francisco federal judge lacked jurisdiction over the termination of the TPS program, which allows immigrants from designated countries to temporarily stay in the U.S.

Why it matters

This is the latest development in the ongoing legal battles over the Trump administration's efforts to end TPS protections as part of a larger mass deportation agenda. The TPS program has provided temporary deportation relief for immigrants from countries facing armed conflict, natural disasters, or other extraordinary conditions.

The details

The Ninth Circuit panel stayed a lower court order that had preserved the TPS protections for immigrants from Honduras, Nicaragua, and Nepal while the litigation continues. This ruling allows the Department of Homeland Security to move forward with terminating the TPS program for those countries, potentially leading to the deportation of thousands of immigrants.

  • On February 9, 2026, the Ninth Circuit panel issued the emergency stay.

The players

Department of Homeland Security

The U.S. federal executive department responsible for public security, including immigration enforcement.

Ninth Circuit

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, which has jurisdiction over federal district courts in several western states, including California.

San Francisco federal judge

A judge in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, located in San Francisco.

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What’s next

The ongoing litigation over the termination of TPS protections will continue, with the Ninth Circuit's stay allowing the Department of Homeland Security to move forward with ending the program for immigrants from Honduras, Nicaragua, and Nepal while the legal challenges unfold.

The takeaway

This ruling represents a significant victory for the Trump administration's efforts to end Temporary Protected Status for immigrants, potentially leading to the deportation of thousands of people who have been living and working in the U.S. under the TPS program.