The United States has ended federal protections shielding thousands of migrants from Nicaragua and Honduras from deportation, angering immigration and civil rights advocacy groups.

The Trump administration will terminate deportation protections for thousands of Hondurans and Nicaraguans in the U.S., according to Federal Register notices posted on Monday, part of a broad effort by the president to strip legal status from migrants.

They have to be able to defend themselves,” the president said, appearing to signal a reversal after his administration paused some weapons transfers just last week.

"We're going to send some more weapons – we have to. They have to be able to defend themselves," Trump said of Ukraine July 7.

The U-turn was announced during a White House dinner Mr Trump was hosting for Binyamin Netanyahu, the visiting Israeli prime minister. Sitting next to him Pete Hegseth, America’s defence secretary, nodded in assent,