The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco unexpectedly ruled in favor of the Trump administration on Monday night, Just The News reported.

The appeals court issued an order overturning a lower court's decision that had nullified Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen's decision to terminate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for immigrants from three countries: Nepal, Honduras, and Nicaragua.

The court ruled in favor of the federal government, stating that Nielsen's decision was "not arbitrary or capricious."

Nielsen had argued that the specific events that formed the basis for TPS had occurred years ago and no longer existed, and that the designation was meant to be temporary.

Attorney General Pam Bondi stated on X, "This ruling is a significant legal victory for the Department of Justice lawyers and will help pave the way for President Trump’s continued deportation policies."

Temporary Protected Status is granted to individuals from countries deemed unsafe due to natural disasters, political instability, or other dangerous conditions. This protected status is valid for six, twelve, or eighteen months, during which beneficiaries can work in the U.S. and are not subject to deportation.

As of February 2026, the following countries are designated for TPS: El Salvador (until September 9), Lebanon (until May 27), Sudan (until October 19), Ukraine (until October 19), Yemen (until March 3), Somalia (ending March 17), and Ethiopia (ending February 13).

Additionally, the termination of TPS for Haiti (scheduled to end March 3), Burma (scheduled to end January 16), South Sudan (scheduled to end January 5), and Syria (scheduled to end November 21, 2025) has been temporarily halted by court order.

U.S. NNP=Reporter Hong Seong-gu / Special Dispatch NNP info@newsandpost.com