The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit on Wednesday granted the Trump administration an emergency stay that allows it to end Temporary Protected Status for roughly 60,000 immigrants from Honduras, Nicaragua and Nepal. The unanimous order lifts a July 31 injunction issued by U.S. District Judge Trina L. Thompson, who had found the government’s effort likely unlawful and driven by racial animus. The three-judge panel—Michael Daly Hawkins, Consuelo Callahan and Eric Miller—did not explain its reasoning but paused further district-court proceedings until a related challenge over Venezuelan TPS is resolved. The decision immediately removes protection for about 7,000 Nepalis whose status expired on Aug. 5 and permits the Department of Homeland Security to let TPS for roughly 51,000 Hondurans and 3,000 Nicaraguans lapse on Sept. 8, after which they will be subject to deportation and lose work authorization. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said the ruling helps "restore integrity to the immigration system" by preventing TPS from becoming a "de facto asylum program." Immigrant-rights groups, including the UCLA Center for Immigration Law and Policy and the National TPS Alliance, criticized the appeals court for issuing a stay without an accompanying opinion and signaled they may seek further review. TPS allows the Homeland Security secretary to grant temporary legal status and work permits to foreign nationals whose home countries are deemed unsafe because of conflict or natural disasters. The Trump administration has moved aggressively to terminate several such designations, including those covering Venezuelans, Haitians and Ukrainians, drawing multiple lawsuits that are still pending.