Appeals court backs Noem move to end TPS protections for Nepal, Honduras, Nicaragua

A federal appeals court in San Francisco granted a stay allowing the government to proceed with terminating Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for immigrants from Nepal, Honduras and Nicaragua.

The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals issued an order freezing a lower court ruling that would have vacated Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem’s decision to end the protections.

The court found the government was likely to succeed on the grounds that the DHS decision was not “arbitrary or capricious,” suggesting that the decision-making process was rational.

“The government is likely to prevail in its argument that the Secretary’s decision-making process in terminating TPS for Honduras, Nicaragua, and Nepal was not arbitrary and capricious,” court documents said. 

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.