US Department Of Homeland Security : Trump Government Moves to Cancel Protected Status for Yemeni Nationals

Washington: On Friday, the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced its decision to discontinue deportation protections for Yemen under Temporary Protected Status (TPS), making Yemen the 13th country removed from the program by the Trump administration.

The move affects Yemeni nationals living in the United States who were previously safeguarded from deportation and allowed to work under TPS. According to The Hill, the categorization includes approximately 1,400 Yemenis.

“I have concluded that Yemen no longer satisfies the legal criteria for Temporary Protected Status designation,” stated DHS Secretary Kristi Noem in a press release, following a review of the country’s conditions and consultation with the appropriate U.S. government agencies.

“Allowing TPS Yemen beneficiaries to remain temporarily in the USA is detrimental to our national interests. TPS was intended to be temporary, and this administration is returning it to its original purpose. We are prioritising our national security concerns and putting America first,” she stated.

US Department Of Homeland Security Faces Legal Challenges Over TPS Decisions

Yemeni citizens have been protected by TPS since 2015. According to The Hill, the designation has been extended several times in response to Yemen’s persistent instability.

Former Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, Noem’s predecessor, claimed that Yemen was “on the brink of economic collapse” when he reclassified the country for TPS in 2024.

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He stated in the 2024 designation, as reported by The Hill, that Yemen has been in turmoil for nearly a decade. The ongoing fighting has severely limited people’ access to basic essentials including clean water, food, and medical treatment. It has also driven the country to the brink of economic collapse, making it dangerous for many Yemenis living abroad to come home.

The US Department of Homeland Security’s efforts to eliminate TPS protections for numerous countries have faced repeated legal challenges, according to The Hill, while court decisions have had varying effects on beneficiaries.

An appeals court found last month that Noem unlawfully terminated TPS for Venezuelan and Haitian citizens. According to The Hill, the court determined that her disparaging remarks about Haitians indicated she was motivated by racial prejudice.

A concurring opinion went on to say 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 judgement that the decision was “preordained” and not based on need, The Hill reports.