Appellate Stay Eliminates Final Protection for Central America’s Longest-Residing Migrants

The Ninth Circuit’s decision Wednesday removes the last legal barrier protecting Central American migrants who have maintained American residence for 26 years since Hurricane Mitch. The ruling affects individuals whose American experience encompasses entire adult lives and family development.
Many affected migrants have never returned to their origin countries since arriving as young adults, building careers, purchasing homes, and raising American-born families during their extended legal residence. Their children and grandchildren may have no meaningful connections to countries their parents left decades ago.
The administration argues that lengthy residence demonstrates program misuse rather than justifying continued protection. Officials contend that 26 years provided adequate time for migrants to obtain permanent status through traditional immigration channels if they qualified for such applications.
Legal advocates emphasize that changing immigration laws, bureaucratic obstacles, and resource limitations prevented many migrants from successfully navigating permanent immigration processes despite good faith efforts. They argue that deportation punishes individuals for systemic immigration problems beyond their control.