November 18, 2025

Today, the fate and livelihoods of more than 7,000 Nepali and other Temporary Protected Status (TPS) holders were ruled on by the Ninth Circuit District Court Judge Trina Thompson, California. The official decision is expected in the next few weeks.

National TPS Alliance v. Noem II is a case challenging the Trump administration’s unlawful efforts to remove humanitarian protections for TPS Holders from Nepal, Honduras, and Nicaragua.

Adhikaar echoes the National TPS Alliance and other coalition members in affirming that TPS holders be treated with dignity and justice, and not face the risk of detention and deportation. Without these vital humanitarian protections, they could be forced to return to a country in crisis, even though many TPS holders have built deep roots and made economic and social contributions in the US.

Adhikaar is not giving up. Adhikaar staff are in attendance at the hearing today. And, Adhikaar will continue to work with impacted TPS holders to stabilize the safety and health of their families. And, we will continue to collaborate with nonprofit legal partners, Nepali law firms, and allies advocating to protect TPS for all.  

Unrest in Nepal this past fall has affected public safety and the rule of law. Courts and police stations have been ransacked, judicial processes disrupted, and thousands of inmates escaped from prisons. These events have raised widespread concerns about safety and the rule of law in Nepal. Even the U.S. Department of State, now urges Americans to reconsider travel to Nepal. The crisis has also caused severe economic damage, with losses estimated at $22.5 billion, nearly half of Nepal’s GDP.

For many individuals and families, returning to Nepal will not be easy. A previous study of Nepali protected status holders led by Adhikaar found that:

A staggering 81.5 percent of respondents ‘agreed’ or ‘strongly agreed’ with the statement, ‘If I returned to Nepal, I would be concerned about the physical safety of myself and my family.’ Among respondents who have U.S.-citizen children, this increased to 85.3 percent. (“Nepali TPS Holders Make Significant Contributions to America, Center for American Progress Report,” 2020)

As we await the final decision to emerge from the hearing, please get involved. We know that the U.S. has a long history of providing humanitarian relief to people affected by disasters, war, and violence. Many Nepali protected status holders worked as nurses, doctors, and health care workers in communities across the US during the COVID-19 pandemic. Forcing Nepali protected status holders to leave, separating them from their families in the US, and sending them back to an unsafe situation in Nepal is not only wrong, it is un-American.

Adhikaar remains in solidarity with the legal team from the National Day Laborer Organizing Network (NDLON), the ACLU Foundations of Northern California and Southern California, the Center for Immigration Law and Policy (CLIP) at UCLA School of Law, and Haitian Bridge Alliance and the plaintiffs National TPS Alliance, United for TPS Nepal (UTPSN), the individual plaintiffs who are fighting tirelessly for TPS holders right to live and work in the U.S. with dignity.

Take Action:

• Call Your Representatives and demand protections for TPS holders
• Join Adhikaar’s Know Your Rights to stay informed
• Follow us on social media for urgent action alerts and updates

Adhikaar for Human Rights and Social Justice is the only women-led worker and community center dedicated to serving and organizing the US Nepali-speaking immigrant and refugee community to build community power, uplift community voices, and take collective action against injustice.

Adhikaar, which means “rights” in Nepali, helped lead efforts to convince Congress to grant Nepal temporary protections after the devastating earthquake in 2015. For over 20 years Adhikaar has assisted thousands of individuals and families, trained hundreds of new leaders, and successfully changed policies and created new laws at local, state, national, and international levels. Signature accomplishments including the enactment of the New York and New Jersey Domestic Workers Bill of Rights and the International Domestic Workers’ Convention.

Learn more: adhikaar.org  

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