FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Laura Trask
Director, Development & Communications
[email protected]
Washington, D.C. (August 21, 2025) – Ayuda is deeply saddened by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals’ decision to stay – or pause – the district court order that had temporarily protected over 60,000 people from Honduras, Nepal, and Nicaragua from losing Temporary Protected Status (TPS).
This ruling means that Nepali TPS holders immediately lose their lawful status and work authorization, and Honduran and Nicaraguan TPS holders are at risk of losing theirs as soon as September 8. These individuals have lived in the United States for decades, raised U.S. citizen children, contributed to their communities, and made this country their home. Now, they face the threat of deportation and separation from their families.
The district court had rightly recognized that these terminations are likely unconstitutional, acknowledging the humanity of TPS holders when Judge Trina Thompson opened her opinion with: “The freedom to live fearlessly, the opportunity of liberty, and the American dream. That is all Plaintiffs seek.”
Instead of honoring those values, today’s order sanctions the administration’s attempt to strip lawful status from long-standing community members, without any explanation as to why this was deemed an “emergency.” The consequences will be devastating for tens of thousands of families, including over 40,000 U.S. citizen children of TPS holders.
At Ayuda, we know firsthand how harmful this decision will be. Our legal teams represent 32 TPS holders from Honduras and Nicaragua in more than 50 cases. The majority of our clients are Honduran, with several Nicaraguan families as well. Their stories reflect decades of lawful residence, work, and family-building in the U.S.
We echo the words of Sandhya Lama, a TPS holder from Nepal, who reminds us: “We are not an ‘emergency.’ We are families, workers, and neighbors who have built our lives here.”
For many TPS holders, this decision means the loss of status and stability they have relied on for decades. Still, our fight continues. Ayuda remains steadfast in our commitment to immigrant communities and will keep working for a future where families can live with security, dignity, and the permanent protections they deserve.
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About Ayuda:
Ayuda provides direct legal, social, and language access services to low-income immigrants in Washington D.C., Maryland, and Virginia. Since 1973, Ayuda has served more than 150,000 immigrants throughout the region. Ayuda is the only nonprofit service provider in the area that provides a wide range of immigration and family law assistance, social services, and language access support for all immigrants – including women, men, and children – from anywhere in the world. Visit www.ayuda.com to learn more.
