Trump administration leaves Ukrainian and Sudanese TPS holders in limbo as midterms approach

DHS neither ends nor renews protections covering about 103,000 people

By LineZotpaper

Published21 October 2026

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The Trump administration has left more than 100,000 Ukrainians and Sudanese in the United States in legal limbo, neither terminating nor renewing their Temporary Protected Status as it lapsed on Monday. The move breaks with months of policy and comes as immigration advocates question whether the timing is tied to the November 3 midterm elections, in which Republicans are fighting for control of Congress.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said in a statement that "an announcement regarding TPS for Ukraine will be made in due course" and that Ukrainian citizens under TPS "remain protected" until then. No timeline was given, and Sudanese beneficiaries, whose program also expired on Monday, face the same unresolved status as Ukrainians and, since September, Salvadorans.

El País described the decision not to terminate as a 180-degree turn in the administration's immigration policy. In recent months, the government ended TPS for 13 of the 17 countries that had benefited from the program, including Afghanistan, Venezuela, Nicaragua, Honduras and Haiti.

The shift comes amid the campaign for the November 3 midterms, when all seats in the House of Representatives, one-third of the Senate and 36 governorships are at stake. Recent polls put approval of the president at 37 percent and disapproval at 60 percent.

José Palma, national coordinator of the National TPS Alliance, said he believes the timing is election-related. "Republican strategists are trying to minimize the impact and confuse people into thinking they are changing course and will be more lenient in the future," he said. Julia Gelatt, associate director of the Migration Policy Institute, said it cannot be known for certain whether the policy change reflects the approaching elections, but conceded it could benefit the Republican Party. Todd Schulte, president of the advocacy group FWD.us, said that while he cannot say exactly why the program was kept, "maintaining TPS is the right thing to do and, moreover, it's a measure with popular support."

TPS allows citizens of countries experiencing armed conflict or natural disaster to live and work in the United States temporarily, with renewals assessed every 18 months. Ukraine's designation dates to April 2022, after Russia's invasion, and was extended by the Biden administration; the most recent extension came in January 2025, for 18 months. Ukraine has also been allowed to keep a humanitarian parole program denied to other countries, though the report notes a recent diesel export agreement with Russian President Vladimir Putin has raised questions about whether Washington's support will continue.

Palma said the uncertainty is worse than a definitive decision. "In real life, many families are suffering because of that lack of clarity in protection. What is happening is just another extension of the psychological torture the TPS community is enduring," he said, adding that beneficiaries are being used as "political pawns." In practical terms, the unresolved status blocks people from renewing driver's licenses in states such as Texas, complicates job hunting and lease renewals, and leaves federal databases showing no immigration status, which can affect retirement benefits.

In September, 31 Democratic and Republican senators wrote to DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin and Secretary of State Marco Rubio urging renewal for Ukraine, calling it "a humanitarian imperative, but also a sound economic decision." The letter warned that ending TPS could "destabilize those sectors and increase costs for American consumers" in states such as Illinois, where beneficiaries work in transportation, health care and construction.

Sudan's TPS dates to 1997 and has been extended by successive administrations amid armed conflict and political instability. Haiti's program was the most recent not to be renewed, leaving 170,000 Haitians on the brink of deportation despite gang violence in the country. The next designation to lapse is Lebanon's, which expires on November 27, after the midterms.

Analysis

Why This Matters

More than 100,000 people face an indefinite wait for a decision that determines their right to work, drive, rent a home and collect benefits in the United States.
The handling of TPS has become a live political issue ahead of the November 3 midterms, with all House seats, a third of the Senate and 36 governorships at stake.
The next expiry, Lebanon's on November 27, will test whether this is a one-off election maneuver or a lasting change of approach.

Background

TPS is a US program that grants temporary legal status and work authorization to nationals of countries deemed unsafe because of armed conflict or natural disaster. Under the current administration, protections were ended for 13 of the 17 countries previously covered, most recently Haiti, whose 170,000 beneficiaries face deportation despite ongoing gang violence. Ukraine's designation followed Russia's February 2022 invasion, and Sudan's has been continuously extended since 1997. The current situation, with protections neither ended nor renewed, leaves the future of both programs in the hands of a DHS announcement that has not been scheduled.

Key Perspectives

The administration: DHS said only that an announcement on Ukraine would be made "in due course," with beneficiaries protected in the meantime. Gelatt's account of the administration's stance is that conditions in countries of origin are "not a primary concern" and that TPS is seen as not aligned with US national interests.

Immigration advocates: Palma argues the timing is tied to the elections and that the uncertainty itself is a form of suffering, with families used as "political pawns." Schulte says maintaining TPS has popular support and ending it would have been deeply unpopular in places like Ohio.

Policy analysts: Gelatt says it is not certain the shift is election-driven, but it could benefit Republicans, who face an unfavorable environment.

Bipartisan lawmakers: Thirty-one senators from both parties urged renewal for Ukraine, on humanitarian and economic grounds.

What to Watch

Any formal DHS decision on Ukraine and Sudan, which could come before or after the midterms.
The November 3 election results and whether the administration's posture shifts afterward.
Lebanon's TPS, expiring November 27, as the next test case.
Signals in US-Russia relations, including the recent diesel export agreement, for what they say about Washington's commitment to Ukraine.

Sources

Trump administration softens its stance on TPS amid election campaign · El País English

Checked

12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 10 supported.

Show each claim

SupportedThe Trump administration has left Ukrainian and Sudanese TPS holders in limbo as the midterms approach.El País English: “The Donald Trump administration has done with Ukrainians and Sudanese this week what it did last month with Salvadorans: it has not terminated Temporary Protected Status (TPS), but it has not renewed it either.”
SupportedDHS neither ended nor renewed protections covering about 103,000 people.El País English: “The program that provides legal immigration status to 101,000 Ukrainians and 1,800 Sudanese citizens was set to expire on Monday”
Partly supportedThe protections lapsed on Monday.El País English: “The program that provides legal immigration status to 101,000 Ukrainians and 1,800 Sudanese citizens was set to expire on Monday, but the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has declined to comment, which for now leaves them protected from deportation.”
SupportedDHS said an announcement about Ukraine TPS would come “in due course” and Ukrainian citizens under TPS “remain protected” until then.El País English: “On Monday, when the program was due to expire, DHS merely said in a statement that “an announcement regarding TPS for Ukraine will be made in due course. Until that announcement is made, Ukrainian citizens in the United States under TPS remain protected.””
SupportedThe decision not to terminate TPS breaks with the recent trend in which protections ended for 13 of 17 countries.El País English: “In a context expected to be unfavorable for the conservative party, some experts are speculating about the timing of this break with the trend of recent months, when TPS protections were ended for 13 of the 17 countries that had benefited from the program.”
SupportedThe midterms are on November 3, with all House seats, one-third of Senate seats and 36 governors’ offices at stake.El País English: “In an election in which all seats in the House of Representatives, one-third of the Senate and 36 governors’ offices are at stake”
SupportedRecent polls put Trump’s approval at 37% and disapproval at 60%.El País English: “Only 37% of voters approve of President Trump’s performance, while 60% disapprove, according to the latest polls.”
SupportedPalma said: “Republican strategists are trying to minimize the impact and confuse people into thinking they are changing course and will be more lenient in the future.”El País English: ““Republican strategists are trying to minimize the impact and confuse people into thinking they are changing course and will be more lenient in the future,” he says.”
SupportedGelatt said it cannot be known for certain whether the policy change is due to the elections, but it could benefit Republicans.El País English: “Gelatt notes that it cannot be known for certain whether the policy change on TPS is due to the proximity of the elections, but she concedes it could benefit the Republican Party.”
Partly supportedThe unresolved status blocks people from renewing driver’s licenses in states such as Texas.El País English: “The activist says that in practical terms, the failure to renew the program means, for example, that someone who needs to obtain a driver’s license cannot do so in states that require proof of immigration status, such as Texas.”
SupportedIn September, 31 senators urged renewal for Ukraine, calling it “a humanitarian imperative, but also a sound economic decision.”El País English: “In September, 31 Democratic and Republican senators sent a letter to DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin and Secretary of State Marco Rubio urging renewal of TPS for Ukraine, calling it “a humanitarian imperative, but also a sound economic decision.””
SupportedThe most recent TPS program not to be renewed was Haiti’s, leaving 170,000 Haitians on the brink of deportation despite gang violence.El País English: “The last country whose TPS was not renewed was Haiti, leaving 170,000 Haitians on the brink of deportation despite the continued violence by criminal gangs that control parts of the Caribbean nation.”