In a video on X by @LibOrNormal, a Honduran man says he was deported from the United States after spending 25 years in the country. The post has drawn responses about Temporary Protected Status (TPS).
The man said he moved to the U.S. when he was 10 years old, attended middle school, high school and college, and earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration with a focus in finance. He said he later worked in finance for about 10 years before starting his own business.
“Twenty (…) five years, a whole life,” he said as he was describing his return to Honduras. He said that when he finally arrived, he had little more than the clothes he was wearing when he was detained.
The man said he had lived in the U.S. under TPS for 24 years. According to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Honduras was first designated for TPS in 1999, after Hurricane Mitch.
Under TPS designation, Hondurans already present in the United States were protected from deportation and authorized to work while the designation remained in effect.
Lived in the US legally for 24 years under TPS.
— Brandon (@LibOrNormal) August 11, 2026
Came at age 10. Bachelor’s in business/finance. 10 years in finance. Started his own business. Paid taxes.
Zero criminal record.
Became illegal overnight.
6 weeks in 3 different jails deported to Honduras.
Do you feel sorry? pic.twitter.com/NwZEVViS3m
In July 2025, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced that it would terminate Honduras’ TPS designation as conditions in Honduras had improved and no longer met the criteria for the designation. The termination took effect on Sept. 8, 2025 and affected tens of thousands of Hondurans, as a DHS notice stated that about 72,000 Hondurans held TPS. However, Congressional Research Service data showed about 51,225 approved Honduran TPS beneficiaries as of March 31, 2025.
The man said he was detained and held in three different facilities over six weeks. He described himself as someone with no criminal history who paid taxes and contributed to his community.
The Daily Dot could not independently verify those claims.
On X, some users asked why he had not pursued another immigration status during his decades in the country. “TPS is TEMPORARY. 24 years here is NOT temporary!!!” one wrote. Another argued that TPS was not a permanent immigration status, while others focused on his education and professional background and said he could use those in Honduras.
Well he's got a good education. He can help make his country better.
— MAGA Lorrie Ann ?????? AMERICA FIRST (@LorrieAnn25) August 11, 2026
According to the Congressional Research Service, TPS is protection from removal created by Congress in 1990 for nationals of countries with extraordinary and temporary conditions. It does not itself provide permanent residence or a direct path to citizenship.
The man also said he plans to share more about his detention, his experiences with other detainees, and his new life in Honduras. “From my personal experience and from my perspective, this was driven by racism,” he said.
