The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has extended temporary protected status (TPS) through January 2, 2020, for nationals of El Salvador, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Sudan. DHS provided the extension to comply with an October 2018 preliminary injunction issued in Ramos v. Nielsen by the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, which requires DHS to postpone its plans to terminate TPS for the four countries until the case has been decided. The TPS extension does not apply to nationals of Nepal or Honduras because neither country was included in the Ramos litigation.
As a result of the DHS extension, TPS holders from affected countries are permitted to remain in the United States and continue to work through January 2, 2020. Employers may want to consult the Federal Register for details about how to comply with employment verification requirements.
Ogletree Deakins’ Immigration Practice Group will continue to monitor developments with respect to the policy changes and will post updates on our immigration blog as additional information becomes available.