Clinton Designates Honduras and Nicaragua for TPS After Hurricane Mitch

President Clinton designated Honduras and Nicaragua for Temporary Protected Status on November 30, 1998, following Hurricane Mitch, which killed more than 11,000 people and left 2.5 million homeless across Central America. The designations allowed nationals from both countries already in the United States to remain legally and obtain work authorization. Approximately 57,000 Hondurans and 4,000 Nicaraguans eventually received TPS under the initial designations, which were extended repeatedly over the following two decades.