Trump administration extends Lebanese TPS for 11,000 people

The Trump administration has extended deportation protections and work permits for approximately 11,000 Lebanese nationals living in the United States for an additional six months. The decision, filed in the Federal Register on Wednesday and announced by the Department of Homeland Security, allows beneficiaries to maintain their Temporary Protected Status through November 27.

The extension occurred automatically because Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin did not make a determination on Lebanon’s TPS designation at least 60 days before its scheduled expiration. By statute, the status renews for six months if such a deadline is missed. This marks a rare instance of continued protections under an administration that has moved to terminate TPS for nationals of numerous other countries, including Haiti, Somalia, Nicaragua, Syria, and Venezuela.

Temporary Protected Status is a program created by Congress in 1990 to shield individuals from deportation to countries experiencing natural disasters, armed conflict, or other extraordinary conditions. It provides authorization to work in increments of up to 18 months. Lebanon was designated for TPS in October 2024 during the Biden...