UPDATE 1-Honduras joins El Salvador in obtaining protected status extension in U.S.
(Adds context, Honduran president quote)
TEGUCIGALPA, Nov 1 (Reuters) - The U.S. government has extended temporary protection for Hondurans living in the United States by a year, Honduran officials said on Friday, following a similar extension for Salvadorans in a rollback of U.S. plans to end the program.
U.S. President Donald Trump last year said he would shut down temporary protected status (TPS) for Hondurans and Salvadorans after a January 2020 expiration, amid a slew of measures meant to crack down on growing numbers of migrants from Central America.
"On our part, we will keep working to find a permanent and humane solution for our Honduran brothers," Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez said in a Tweet on Friday, adding that TPS covers more than 40,000 Hondurans.
The TPS program offers protection from deportation to immigrants who already are in the United States, including those who entered illegally, from countries affected by natural disasters, civil conflicts and other problems.
Honduras became eligible in 1999 following the devastation of Hurricane Mitch, while El Salvador joined after two destructive earthquakes in 2001. (Reporting by Gustavo Palencia, Writing by Daina Beth Solomon Editing by Marguerita Choy)
