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Trump Administration Ends Yemen's Protected Status, Affecting 1,400

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has terminated Temporary Protected Status for Yemen, ending deportation protections for roughly 1,400 Yemeni nationals. DHS Secretary Kristi Noem stated the decision aligns with returning TPS to its "original temporary intent" and prioritizes national security. This reversal comes after her predecessor, Alejandro Mayorkas, redesignated Yemen in 2024 due to the country being on the "brink of economic collapse." The administration's efforts to end TPS for other nations have faced legal challenges, with courts citing evidence of prejudicial motives in prior rulings.

Key Points: US Ends TPS for Yemen, 13th Country Removed Under Trump

  • Affects ~1,400 Yemeni nationals
  • TPS designation began in 2015
  • Noem cites "national security"
  • Legal challenges have stalled other TPS terminations
  • Court cited "racist stereotyping" in prior rulings
2 min read

Trump administration ends Temporary Protected Status for Yemen

DHS ends Temporary Protected Status for Yemen, affecting 1,400 nationals. Secretary Kristi Noem cites national interest, reversing 2024 redesignation.

"Allowing TPS Yemen beneficiaries to remain... is contrary to our national interest. - DHS Secretary Kristi Noem"

Washington, DC, February 13

The US Department of Homeland Security on Friday announced its decision to end deportation protections for Yemen under Temporary Protected Status, making Yemen the 13th country removed from the programme by the Trump administration.

The change affects Yemeni nationals living in the US who had been shielded from removal and permitted to work under TPS. Roughly 1,400 Yemenis are covered by the designation, according to The Hill.

"After reviewing conditions in the country and consulting with appropriate U.S. government agencies, I determined that Yemen no longer meets the law's requirements to be designated for Temporary Protected Status," DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said in a release.

"Allowing TPS Yemen beneficiaries to remain temporarily in the United States is contrary to our national interest. TPS was designed to be temporary, and this administration is returning TPS to its original temporary intent. We are prioritising our national security interests and putting America first," she added.

Yemeni nationals have been protected under TPS since 2015. The Hill noted that the designation had been extended multiple times in response to Yemen's ongoing instability.

When Noem's predecessor, former Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, redesignated Yemen for TPS in 2024, he wrote that the country was on "the brink of economic collapse."

"Yemen has been in a state of protracted conflict for the past decade, severely limiting civilians' access to water, food, and medical care, pushing the country to the brink of economic collapse, and preventing Yemeni nationals living abroad from safely returning home," he wrote in the 2024 designation, as cited by The Hill.

Efforts by the US Department of Homeland Security to end TPS protections for several countries have encountered repeated legal challenges, The Hill reported, although court decisions have varied in their impact on beneficiaries.

Last month, an appeals court ruled that Noem had improperly ended TPS for citizens of Venezuela and Haiti. According to The Hill, the court found that her derogatory comments about Haitians suggested she was influenced by racial animus.

A concurring opinion further observed that both Noem and President Trump had made statements that "were overtly founded on racist stereotyping based on country of origin," agreeing with a lower court's conclusion that the decision was "preordained" and not based on need, The Hill reported.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

S
Sarah B
The court finding racial animus in similar cases is very telling. It's hard to see this as a decision based purely on conditions in Yemen when the administration has a pattern. Foreign policy should be consistent and principled, not driven by prejudice.
P
Priya S
Only 1,400 people? That's such a small number for a country as big as the US to absorb. These are people who have built lives there for nearly a decade. The legal challenges will likely stop this, just like with Haiti and Venezuela. It feels more like a political statement than a practical immigration policy.
R
Rohit P
Every country has the right to control its borders and set its immigration rules. I respect that. But the timing and the reasoning seem questionable when the country is described as being on the "brink of economic collapse." Where is the consistency? 🤔
M
Meera T
This is heartbreaking. Imagine being told you have to return to a warzone after living in safety for years. As a nation that has welcomed refugees, India should speak up more on such global humanitarian issues. The world is becoming less compassionate.
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David E
While the administration's rhetoric is often problematic, we must acknowledge that TPS was always meant to be temporary. The real failure is the lack of a long-term legislative solution from Congress for people in these impossible situations. The executive branch shouldn't have to keep extending it indefinitely.

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.

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