TPS recipients vow to fight for permanent status

Thousands of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) beneficiaries celebrated as a “small victory” the US government decision to extend the measure to citizens of El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua and Nepal, while many of those who have been leading the battle for legal status since 2018 assure that they will continue until they achieve their goal.

This Thursday, members of the National TPS Alliance met in front of the White House to highlight the scope of a decision that they see as the result of the work carried out in different areas, both in the judicial system and in the political and social arena since the Former President Donald Trump’s administration terminated the immigration benefit.

José Urías, from the Alianza’s national directory, expressed his opinion in a virtual forum after the announcement that “the fight does not end until we have permanent residence,” as part of the demands of some 80 committees made up of immigrants from El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua, plus members of the Haitian, Nepali and Sudanese community who have accompanied them over the years.

In the peripheral city of Baltimore, near the US capital, Salvadoran Concepción Morales says that the announcement by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) “is a small victory” and that “the fight will continue” driven by this movement that brings together thousands of of beneficiaries of the program and pro-immigrant organizations that have joined over the years.

A complex process, they call to be alert

American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) attorney Emi MacLean, who is part of the legal team for the TPS holders’ class action lawsuit against the federal government, says the timing ahead is “very complex.”

“It is not an official action yet. At this moment, what we have is a public announcement about an action that they are committing to take, and what they are saying is that in the days to come, announcements will be made to cancel the terminations of TPS for four countries and extend it to all four countries. It’s a little bit complicated [de entender] until we have the official news for a new extension, “said the lawyer.

Until June 2024, according to the lawyer, two decisions would be intertwined, the one made by the federal government and the precautionary measures issued by the federal court that have kept alive the work permit and legal stay in the United States for some 400,000 immigrants.

The DHS announcement indicates that after June 2024 “some before and others after in a very short period”, they would have to register again, so when the first announcement is published in the Federal Register, the lawyers must “promote” meetings with DHS to clarify points, the attorney said.

The expert said that it is clear that after so much work “it would be unfortunate to lose people from the TPS due to lack of information”, with which she pointed out that this group must be very attentive to the times and specific information that they will have to present for a re-registration before the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to maintain legal protection.

The Secretary of Homeland Security, Alejandro Mayorkas, said on Tuesday when issuing the announcement that “through the extension of the Temporary Protected Status, we can offer continuous security and protection to the beneficiaries (…) who are already present in the US and they cannot return due to the impacts of environmental disasters.”

DHS explained that when the publications are made in the Federal Register “soon” they will explain “the eligibility criteria” with the established deadlines and the “necessary procedures” to which the beneficiaries must submit to renew “their Employment Authorization Documents (EAD)”.

For four years, TPS beneficiaries have remained covered by periodic extensions announced by DHS in compliance with the precautionary measures ordered by the ongoing judicial processes.

From Boston, the Salvadoran José Palma, also a leader of the National TPS Alliance, described President Joe Biden’s decision as timely, although late. “He should have done the right thing and restored TPS to our community on his first day in office, but instead we endured two years of uncertainty as we fought in the courts, demonstrated in the streets,” Palma said.

In this new stage, “the fight is far from over,” said Palma, adding that the commitment of the movement at the national level is a firm commitment “for permanent residence and equal rights.”

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