The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has moved to extend temporary protections for hundreds of thousands of at-risk immigrants. More than 300,000 immigrants from El Salvador, Honduras, Haiti, Nepal, Nicaragua, and Sudan are eligible to have their work permits and deportation relief extended for another 18 months.
The Biden administration’s decision to extend Temporary Protected Status (TPS) was announced in a public notice on Thursday, “preempting a court decision that could have led to their legal status expiring next year,” CBS News reported.
RELATED STORY: 300,000 immigrants at risk after TPS lawsuit negotiations break down: 'Heartbreaking for us all'
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In shocking developments last month, negotiations from TPS litigation dating back to the previous administration had apparently broken down, once again leaving hundreds of thousands of immigrants in the lurch. Protections for the nations had been terminated by the administration in 2018, leading to the class-action litigation.
What the breakdown in talks meant was that families were once again vulnerable to deportation, with expiration dates quickly approaching. While the administration had designated Haiti and Sudan for TPS outside of the lawsuit, it hadn’t done so for the remaining nations. Following news that talks had collapsed, more than 100 organizations urged the Biden administration to act swiftly. “The need for resolution is urgent, as the litigated TPS designations for all six countries expire on December 31st of this year,” the coalition said.
Relief came this week. CBS News reports that Salvadorans represent the largest number of affected individuals, at more than 240,000. In a statement Thursday, Salvadoran TPS holder and National TPS Alliance member Cristina Morales said families would “rest a little easier” that night. Concepcion Morales, another TPS holder and National TPS Alliance member, said the victory belonged to the community.
“This is a direct result of TPS migrant families who organized and fought back, those who for years have marched the streets of Washington DC and the halls of congress to make their voices heard,” Morales said.
The federal government has discretion to designate a nation for Temporary Protected Status when conditions ranging from natural disasters to civil unrest make it too dangerous for nationals to return. Some TPS holders have lived in the U.S. for years, have built homes, and contribute, so it would make sense to just allow them to live here permanently. But no such bill has fully passed Congress as of yet.
"Today, TPS holders still do not have permanent residence, along with all the civil rights and political equality they deserve," said ACLU Foundation of Northern California senior staff attorney Emi Maclean. "Most members of this community have lived in this country for decades. They deserve lawful permanent residence, not life lived in 18-month increments. TPS holders, the TPS Alliance, and their allies will not cease until that demand has been met."
In a statement received by Daily Kos, U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla of California called the 18-month designation “a huge relief,” and said he would work toward permanent relief. Padilla is among Senate progressives to have recently urged the Biden administration to expand Haitian relief to thousands more people as the small nation continues to experience unrest.
“As a nation of immigrants, it is our moral imperative to protect vulnerable immigrant communities who cannot safely return home and the administration’s announcement today is a step in the right direction in meeting that goal,” Padilla said. “I am committed to this fight and will continue to work alongside the Biden administration to find more permanent protections for TPS holders and update our outdated immigration system.”
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