Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and El Salvador Grappling With Compounding Crises & In Need of Immediate Relief
On the one year anniversary of twin hurricanes Eta and Iota devastating Central America, the spotlight is on the Biden Administration for its failure to grant new Temporary Protected Status (TPS) designations for nationals of Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, and Nicaragua. Entire communities have been wiped out. The combination of the hurricanes and the pandemic have led to an acute increase in food insecurity and child malnutrition, widespread poverty, and economic collapse.
With the region increasingly unsafe and dangerous for return, all four countries clearly meet the criteria for new TPS designations. New TPS designations will provide immediate relief to nationals currently residing in the United States. Doing so also will increase the flow of remittances to family back home, promoting economic stability in Central America. Over time, helping Central America recover and make progress will reduce migration pressures.
According to Douglas Rivlin, Director of Communications for America’s Voice:
A year has gone by since the hurricanes hit. The Biden Administration has had an opportunity for months to demonstrate their commitment to humane, fair, commonsense immigration policies, but the Administration has failed to use their authority under statute to grant TPS for countries in crisis.
TPS is an effective humanitarian solution that will increase stability in Central America, support families and stimulate local economies through remittances, and provide relief to immigrant workers and families already living, working, and paying taxes here. Enough is enough. Now is the time to act.
