United States | Updates on TPS for Honduras, Nepal, Nicaragua and South Sudan

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has posted updates regarding Temporary Protected Status (TPS) designations for Honduras, Nepal, Nicaragua and South Sudan in response to court orders in ongoing litigation.

Honduras, Nepal and Nicaragua

• As previously reported, the Department of Homeland Security terminated TPS designations and related benefits for Honduras and Nicaragua on Sept. 8, 2025, and for Nepal on Aug. 5, 2025.
• The Dec. 31, 2025, ruling by the United States District Court for the Northern District of California in National TPS Alliance et al. v. Noem et al., vacated the Secretary’s termination decisions with respect to Honduras, Nepal and Nicaragua.
• USCIS updated its TPS webpage with the following in response to the court order:
• • “The validity of Employment Authorization Documents (EADs) issued under the TPS designation of Honduras with an original expiration date of Jan. 5, 2018, Jan. 5, 2019, April 2, 2019, Jan. 2, 2020, Jan. 4, 2021, Oct. 4, 2021, Dec. 31, 2022, June 30, 2024, and July 5, 2025, is extended per court order.”
  • “The validity of Employment Authorization Documents (EADs) issued under the TPS designation of Nepal with an original expiration date of June 24, 2018, June 24, 2019, March 24, 2020, Jan. 4, 2021, Oct. 4, 2021, Dec. 31, 2022, June 30, 2024, and June 24, 2025, is extended per court order.”
  • “The validity of [EADs] issued under the TPS designation of Nicaragua with an original expiration date of Jan. 5, 2018, Jan. 5, 2019, April 2, 2019, Jan. 2, 2020, Jan. 4, 2021, Oct. 4, 2021, Dec. 31, 2022, June 30, 2024, and July 5, 2025, is extended per court order.”
• With the federal court’s ruling effectively putting the terminations on hold, according to the USCIS update, DHS stated it is “working with Department of Justice to determine next steps” and has not yet issued additional guidance for employers or TPS recipients from Honduras, Nepal and Nicaragua.

South Sudan

• South Sudan’s TPS designation and related benefits were slated to terminate on Jan. 5, 2026, following the Secretary of Homeland Security’s determination that South Sudan no longer met the conditions for its TPS designation.
• The Dec. 30, 2025, ruling by the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts in African Communities Together et al. v. Noem et al. stayed the Secretary’s decision to terminate the designation of TPS for South Sudan, effective as of 12:00 a.m. on Jan. 6, 2026, stating, “During the period of the stay of the termination, the termination shall be null, void and of no legal effect.”
• The USCIS website states, “The validity of Employment Authorization Documents (EADs) issued under the TPS designation of South Sudan with an original expiration date of Nov. 3, 2023, May 3, 2025, or Nov. 3, 2025, is extended per court order.”
• Additional guidance has not yet been issued for employers or TPS recipients from South Sudan.

Because litigation is ongoing in the above matters, employers and foreign nationals should continue to check the USCIS TPS page for further government guidance. BAL will continue to monitor related developments and provide updates.

This alert has been provided by the BAL U.S. Practice Group.

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