Trump Administration Extends Deportation Protections for 11,000 Lebanese

The Trump administration has extended deportation protections for approximately 11,000 Lebanese individuals, granting them the ability to stay and work in the United States for an additional six months. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced the decision on Thursday. This extension provides a temporary reprieve amid ongoing conflict in southern Lebanon between Israeli troops and Hezbollah fighters.

The extension occurred automatically because the administration missed the March 28 deadline to decide whether to extend temporary protected status (TPS) for Lebanese people in the U.S. According to statute, the status automatically extends for six months when the department fails to meet the deadline. The DHS notice stated that former DHS secretary Kristi Noem and current secretary Markwayne Mullin "were unable to make an informed determination on Lebanon's TPS designation" by the deadline.

Congress created TPS in 1990 to prevent deportations to countries experiencing natural disasters or civil strife. The program allows people to work in the U.S. in increments of up to 18 months. The extension allows existing beneficiaries to maintain their protections through November 27, 2026, provided they continue to meet the eligibility requirements for TPS. Work permits already issued to Lebanese TPS holders will remain valid until that date.

This decision is an unusual one for the Trump administration, which has cancelled protections for people from 13 countries, including Venezuela, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Syria. More than 1 million immigrants from 17 countries were protected by TPS at the start of the Trump administration, after the Biden administration greatly expanded its use.

The Trump administration is also working to accelerate nuclear energy. The Energy Department will give surplus plutonium from dismantled warheads to five energy startups: Oklo, Exodys Energy, SHINE Technologies, Standard Nuclear, and Flibe Energy. President Donald Trump issued four executive orders a year ago, to revitalize America's commercial nuclear industry.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has shortened its timelines for reviewing new and renewal licenses to 18 months and 12 months, respectively. The agency has been using AI to streamline its processes, reducing a four- to six-week task to one day. The Energy Department changed its authorization process, eliminating over "900 pages of unnecessary, repetitive, and extraneous language."

Private investment in advanced nuclear companies reached $783.3 million in 2024, which is 13 times the 2023 total, according to S&P Global Market Intelligence data. X-energy, an advanced nuclear startup, raised more than $1 billion in its initial public offering in April. Morgan Stanley estimates that potential nuclear investments could reach $2.2 trillion by 2050.

The administration has agreed to underwrite part of the buildout of Westinghouse reactors in exchange for a 20 percent equity stake in the company. Jack Spencer, director of the Heritage Foundation's Center for Energy, Climate, and Environment, believes American firms have the necessary nuclear expertise but need to "de-risk it from a policy and regulatory standpoint."