Temporary Protected Status (TPS) has never changed as fast as it is changing right now. Over the past year, the Department of Homeland Security has moved to terminate TPS for most designated countries, courts have blocked or paused many of those terminations, and in June 2026 the U.S. Supreme Court cleared the way for the administration to end TPS for several nations. Whether your country's designation is currently active, frozen by litigation, or fully terminated now depends largely on which court order came last.
If you or a family member relies on TPS, understanding the status of your specific country's designation matters more than it ever has. This guide breaks down where each country stands, explains a critical wrinkle affecting Venezuelans, and lays out what North Texas families should do now.
What TPS does and does not do
TPS is a temporary immigration status granted to nationals of countries facing armed conflict, natural disaster, or other extraordinary conditions. If you hold valid TPS, you can generally:
- Remain in the United States lawfully for the designated period
- Apply for a work permit (Employment Authorization Document, or EAD)
- Be protected from detention and deportation while your TPS is active
TPS does not, by itself, give you permanent status or a direct path to a green card. It is exactly what its name says: temporary.
Why everything is in flux: the June 2026 Supreme Court decision
On June 25, 2026, the Supreme Court issued a decision allowing the administration to end TPS for Syria and Haiti, and the reasoning reaches much further than those two countries. The Court indicated that federal courts generally may not second-guess whether the government's decision to end a TPS designation was lawful under the TPS statute itself. Courts may still consider whether a termination violated the Constitution but that is a much harder argument to win.
The practical effect: the administration now has a clear path to wind down TPS for most countries, and even where a lawsuit has temporarily paused a termination, that pause may not hold. Several designations that appear "active" today are expected not to be renewed.
Where each country stands
The designations below are grouped by their status as of late July 2026. Within each group, remember that a single new court ruling can move a country from one category to another.
Countries with TPS currently valid (with an end date)
These designations remained in effect as of late July 2026, though holders should expect that they may not be renewed when they expire:
- El Salvador — valid through September 9, 2026
- Sudan — valid through October 19, 2026
- Ukraine — valid through October 19, 2026
- Lebanon — valid through November 27, 2026 (automatically extended six months from its earlier May 2026 end date)
Countries where termination is temporarily paused by litigation
For these countries, DHS moved to terminate TPS, but a court has paused that termination while a lawsuit continues. Protection may continue for now, but it is contingent on the litigation:
- Burma (Myanmar) — termination paused (a court order paused it into August 2026; watch closely)
- Ethiopia — termination temporarily paused
- Somalia — termination temporarily paused
- South Sudan — termination temporarily paused
- Venezuela (2023 designation) — termination temporarily paused (see the important Venezuela note below)
Countries where TPS has been terminated (litigation may continue)
For these countries, the termination is in effect or the designation has ended. Lawsuits in some cases continue, largely on constitutional grounds, but holders should not assume ongoing protection:
- Afghanistan — terminated
- Cameroon — terminated
- Honduras — terminated (litigation ongoing)
- Nepal — terminated (litigation ongoing)
- Nicaragua — terminated (litigation ongoing)
- Venezuela (2021 designation) — terminated (litigation ongoing) (see below)
- Yemen — termination in effect
- Haiti — terminated following the June 2026 Supreme Court decision (with an anticipated end date in late July 2026, subject to any further district-court action)
- Syria — terminated following the June 2026 Supreme Court decision (same timing posture as Haiti)
The Venezuela wrinkle: two designations, two different situations
This is one of the most confusing and consequential points, and it affects a large number of people in Texas. Venezuela has two separate TPS designations, one from 2021 and one from 2023, and they are being treated differently:
- The 2021 designation has been terminated (with ongoing litigation).
- The 2023 designation has had its termination temporarily paused by a court.
Which designation you fall under determines your current protection and your work-authorization timeline. In addition, some Venezuelan TPS holders who received a work permit on or before an earlier cutoff were told their EADs would remain valid to a specific later date. Because the two designations carry different rules and dates, Venezuelan TPS holders in particular should confirm exactly which designation applies to them before assuming anything about their status.
What about your work permit?
If TPS ends for your country, your TPS-based work authorization generally ends as well, unless you hold a different status that independently authorizes you to work.
Importantly, your work authorization does not expire before your TPS status does. In several cases, USCIS has published "placeholder" EAD end dates in anticipation of a designation ending, but those dates are not final and can shift with court rulings. If you have valid TPS, you remain authorized to work while it is active. Keep your EAD and all related documents accessible, and monitor the USCIS page for your specific country, because SAVE and E-Verify dates have been changing as the litigation develops.
What to do now if you have TPS
- Verify your exact status. Go to uscis.gov/tps, find your country's page, and confirm the current designation, dates, and any court-ordered extensions. If you are Venezuelan, confirm whether you fall under the 2021 or 2023 designation.
- Do not wait for your date to arrive. If your protection is ending or already terminated, the time to explore other options is now, not after you have fallen out of status.
- Explore alternative paths. Depending on your situation, you may be eligible for relief that outlasts TPS, for example, adjustment of status through a family member, asylum, a U visa or VAWA, cancellation of removal, or another form of protection. Only a qualified attorney can assess which, if any, apply to you.
- Know your rights. You have the right to remain silent, the right not to consent to a search of your home without a judge-signed warrant, and the right to speak with a lawyer if detained.
- Keep your documents organized and accessible to a trusted family member or attorney in case you are detained.
- Consult a licensed immigration attorney and be cautious of notario fraud. Only a licensed attorney or an accredited representative can give you reliable legal advice.
A note for the Dallas–Fort Worth community
North Texas is home to large Venezuelan, Honduran, Salvadoran, and other communities directly affected by these changes, and the region is also a significant center of ICE enforcement activity. If TPS ends for your country and you do not have another lawful status, the risk of detention and removal is real and the DFW area's detention facilities, including Prairieland in Alvarado, are actively used. That combination is exactly why acting early, while you still have options, is so important.
Talk to a North Texas immigration attorney
The TPS landscape is shifting too quickly for anyone to navigate on assumptions. If your designation is ending, has been terminated, or you are simply unsure where you stand, the most valuable thing you can do is get a clear, individualized assessment of your options while paths may still be open.
At the Law Office of Daniel A. Lorber, PC, we help TPS holders and their families across Dallas, Fort Worth, and North Texas understand their status and plan their next step. Call (469) 405-2966 or send us a message today. Se habla español.
Disclaimer: This article is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. TPS designations, deadlines, and related litigation are changing rapidly; the information here reflects publicly available sources as of late July 2026 and may be out of date by the time you read it. Always confirm current status at uscis.gov/tps. Reading this article does not create an attorney-client relationship. Please consult a qualified immigration attorney about your specific circumstances.