US Homeland Security Chief Tells TPS Holders to Seek Permanent Status or Depart

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Migrants living in the United States under Temporary Protected Status (TPS) must pursue permanent legal residency or make plans to leave the country, Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said on Sunday, adding a fresh layer of uncertainty for roughly 300,000 non-citizens who rely on the humanitarian program.

“Either try to fill out the paperwork and be here underneath a permanent status, or we’ll help you get back to your country,” Mullin told CNN’s “State of the Union” program, signaling a shift in enforcement posture from previous administrations that often renewed TPS designations for nationals of war-torn or disaster-stricken nations.

The directive comes as the Biden administration faces mounting pressure from both immigrant-rights advocates and border-hardline Republicans. TPS, created in 1990, grants temporary work authorization and protection from deportation to individuals from countries such as El Salvador, Honduras, Haiti, Nepal and Sudan, but does not offer a path to citizenship. Mullin’s comments suggest the Department of Homeland Security may not renew TPS for some countries or could intensify removal proceedings for those who do not adjust their status.

Immigration attorneys and advocacy groups expressed alarm Sunday, warning that many TPS holders have lived in the U.S. for decades, own homes and businesses, and have U.S.-citizen children. Forcing them to either obtain green cards or leave could create legal and humanitarian challenges, as many home countries remain unsafe or lack capacity to reintegrate large numbers of returnees.