Hurricane Dorian: U.S. won't grant temporary protected status to victims from Bahamas

Hurricane Dorian refugees arrive at the Kendal G.L. Isaacs National Gym in Nassau, New Providence, Sept. 6. Photo: Brendan SmialowskiAFP/Getty Images

The Trump administration will not grant Hurricane Dorian refugees from the Bahamas temporary protected status (the same program applied to the victims of Haiti's 2010 earthquake), officials told NBC News and CNN this week.

The big picture: Temporary protected status would only be applicable to those in the U.S. at the time of designation. As of Monday, 1,500 Bahamians have come to the U.S. after being displaced by Dorian, with at least 3,500 people evacuated from the islands and the death toll currently standing at 50. The Department of Homeland Security said this week that displaced Bahamians traveling to the U.S. must have a valid passport and travel visa.

Go deeper: Dorian's death toll climbs in Bahamas as 3,500 flee worst-hit islands