Fiscal Nepal
First Business News Portal in English from Nepal
KATHMANDU: The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced the termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for approximately 7,500 Nepali immigrants, effective August 5, 2025. The decision, part of the Trump administration’s broader immigration crackdown, cites Nepal’s progress in post-2015 earthquake recovery as justification, claiming the country can now handle returnees. This move ends a program that has allowed Nepalis to live and work legally in the U.S. since 2015, following a devastating earthquake.
The revocation will have profound impacts on the Nepali community. Many TPS holders, who have built lives in the U.S. for a decade, face deportation to a country still grappling with economic instability, food insecurity, and infrastructure challenges. Advocacy groups argue that Nepal’s recovery remains incomplete, with recent floods and landslides exacerbating vulnerabilities. “Forcing people back to a struggling nation is unjust,” said Keshav Bhattarai, a TPS holder and plaintiff in prior litigation against terminations.
Community members, many employed in essential industries like healthcare and transportation, fear family separations and loss of livelihoods. U.S.-citizen children of TPS holders may face the impossible choice of leaving with parents or staying behind. The decision could also strain Nepal’s economy, heavily reliant on remittances from diaspora workers.
Legal challenges are expected, as seen in 2018 when lawsuits delayed similar terminations. Advocacy organizations, including the ACLU and National TPS Alliance, are mobilizing to seek injunctions, citing potential racial bias in the decision.
However, with a conservative-leaning Supreme Court, success remains uncertain. TPS holders are urged to explore alternative immigration statuses, though options are limited. The community braces for a turbulent future, with their contributions to the U.S. economy—estimated at billions annually—at risk of being uprooted.
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