Since August 2017, President Trump has repeatedly cancelled and refused to renew protections for foreign nationals living in the United States with Temporary Protected Status (TPS) or Deferred Enforced Departure (DED). These programs allow people who are unable to safely return home due to violence, war, and natural disasters to live and work in the United States.
Eliminating their protections has left over 440,000 individuals, many of whom have lived in the United States for decades, vulnerable to losing their livelihoods, being separated from their families, and being deported to countries that are unsafe.
Legislation has been introduced in the House and Senate that would protect TPS and DED holders. In the Senate, the SECURE Act and Liberian Refugee Immigration Fairness Act together will provide a pathway to permanent resident status for TPS and DED holders. The American Promise Act, introduced in the House, will ensure similar protections.
Thousands of people are facing uncertainty and threats to their safety. Ask your members of Congress to cosponsor this critical legislation now.
To whom it may concern:
I am deeply concerned about the Trump administration's continued assault on immigrant rights.
Since August 2017, the Department of Homeland Security has cancelled Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for nationals of Sudan, Nicaragua, Haiti, El Salvador, Nepal, and Honduras in addition to ending Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) for Liberian nationals. As these protections are terminated, over 440,000 individuals - many of whom have lived in the United States for decades - become vulnerable to arrest and removal to unsafe conditions in their home countries.
Legislation has been introduced that would protect these communities. I urge you to cosponsor both the Safe Environment from Countries Under Repression and Emergency Act (SECURE Act), S. 2144 and the Liberian Refugee Immigration Fairness Act, S. 2275. Together, these bills will provide a pathway to permanent resident status for TPS and DED holders who meet specified eligibility requirements.
The consequences of TPS cancellation are grave and will affect both designated countries and the United States. A recent Center for Migration Research study of TPS holders from Honduras, Nicaragua, and El Salvador found that the vast majority pay income taxes. An estimated 273,000 U.S.-citizen children have at least one parent who is a TPS holder. The remittances that TPS beneficiaries send home are often critical to sustaining the economies of their home countries. In El Salvador, remittances account for more than 17% of national GDP, with the vast majority coming from relatives in the United States. In Honduras, they account for 18% of GDP. Cutting off this economic lifeline would be devastating for these countries, and ultimately for the security and prosperity of our shared region.
Additionally, recent reports have found that the Trump administration's decisions to end TPS and DED are not grounded in a fair assessment of country conditions, as required by statute.
Congress has a crucial role in ensuring that the integrity of TPS and DED are upheld and that hundreds of thousands of U.S. residents are not deported to dangerous conditions. I urge you to cosponsor both the SECURE Act and Liberian Refugee Immigration Fairness Act, and to take further action to ensure these bills are passed as quickly as possible.
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Sincerely,
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