WASHINGTON — The U.S. will not grant temporary protected status to people from the Bahamas displaced by Hurricane Dorian, an administration official told NBC News.
The status would allow Bahamians to work and live in the U.S. until it is deemed safe to return home. The same status is currently granted to over 300,000 people living in the U.S. from 10 countries, including the victims of Haiti’s 2010 earthquake.
Acting Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Mark Morgan said on Monday that the Trump administration was considering whether to grant temporary protected status to people fleeing the Bahamas after Hurricane Dorian devastated two major islands there.
Bahamians can still come to the U.S. temporarily, if they have the right travel documents, but will not be granted work permits.
The Trump administration's decision was first reported by CNN.
As of Monday, 1,500 victims of Dorian had come to the U.S. after the hurricane swept through the Bahamas.
