WASHINGTON — The Department of Homeland Security is advancing the termination of Temporary Protected Status for over a million foreign nationals, a move officials say corrects a long-abused program that has hurt American workers and undermined the rule of law. The effort, bolstered by a June Supreme Court decision and a federal judge lifting a stay on Ethiopian protections Tuesday, restores the program’s statutory limit.

Restoring the Law

TPS was designed to provide a temporary safe haven for nationals of countries experiencing environmental disaster or armed conflict. Administration officials argue it has morphed into a permanent entitlement. A DHS spokesperson called claims that U.S. industries depend on TPS laborers “grossly false and lazy,” adding that the program has functioned as a “de facto amnesty program” for decades.

“The Trump administration is restoring TPS to its original purpose: Temporary. This program has been exploited and hurt American workers for years. President Trump will continue growing our economy, creating opportunity for American workers, and ensuring relevant sectors have the legal workforce they need to be successful.” — White House spokesperson Lauren Bis

Impact on the American Workforce

The economic argument for ending the program focuses squarely on domestic labor. Pro-immigration groups cite data showing 152,000 Salvadoran TPS holders are currently employed, heavily concentrated in construction. For economic nationalists, these are not positions that cannot be filled by American citizens if market distortions are removed. The administration maintains that domestic recruitment and training, not a permanent foreign underclass, is the solution for labor gaps in sectors like home-care services and construction.

The terminations do not occur in a vacuum. The cost of government dependence and suppressed wages in trades like construction and logistics are central to the argument for prioritizing domestic workers. Ending TPS protections is framed not as a humanitarian retreat, but as a reclamation of immigration law to serve the national interest.

With TPS offering no path to permanent residency, the administration is forcing a legal reckoning. Many longtime beneficiaries, some residing in the U.S. for over 25 years, may need to apply for asylum or depart. For the government, the key metric is the integrity of the temporary program, not the duration of an individual’s stay. The DHS secretary retains authority to extend designations based on country conditions, but the default is now termination, as seen with pending expirations for El Salvador and Ukraine.