TEGUCIGALPA, July 8 (Xinhua) -- Honduran President Xiomara Castro on Tuesday criticized the U.S. decision to revoke Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for migrants, calling it "a severe blow" to tens of thousands of Hondurans living and working in the country.
"The cancellation of the TPS program is the result of a strategy announced by the United States as part of its political campaign, and represents a severe blow to our Honduran migrants. To them I say firmly: you are not alone," said Castro in a post on social media.
The TPS is a designation by the U.S. government that provides temporary immigration relief to individuals from certain countries experiencing extraordinary conditions, such as ongoing armed conflict, natural disasters, or other crises that make it unsafe for nationals to return to their home country.
Her remarks followed the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's announcement that it would end the TPS program for citizens of Honduras and Nicaragua.
Castro said she instructed the Honduran Foreign Ministry to "use all the resources permitted by law" to "redouble consular and legal support to protect" migrant rights.
Analysts warn that revoking TPS could trigger a wave of deportations with significant humanitarian and social implications for the Central American region. ■
