As negotiations continue and uncertainty surrounds the future of immigration policy in our country, activists have not wavered in their steadfast commitments to ensuring TPS holders are included in any final decision and permanent pathway to citizenship.
Relevant excerpted coverage follows:
Spectrum News 13: Salvadorian immigrants under TPS face uncertain future By Paula Machado
Wilmer Perlera was one of those thousands living legally in the U.S. for more than 20 years.
“Things in El Salvador are worse, much worse. You have to pay gangs to be safe,” Perlera said.
He was granted TPS in 2001 after El Salvador became a war-torn country.
“It provides relief against deportation and at the same time provides work authorization and travel permission when deemed appropriate,” Lim said.…
There aren’t always many options for the working families who’ve lived in the U.S. for decades under TPS. Just in Florida, around 4,000 Salvadorians will be affected.
“These are people that are working in the restaurants you go to, the businesses next door, big and small companies,” Lim said. “They provide very much to this economy, and removing 4,000 just from this area alone is very problematic.”
Catholic San Francisco: Catholic groups decry end of immigration protection for Salvadorans By Rhina Guidos
Catholic bishops and organizations have expressed concern that Salvadorans would be forced to return to a socially unstable country that is ravaged by gangs and has been designated by various organizations as one of the most dangerous places in the world and one not equipped to absorb such a large-scale repatriation.
“From our experience working with the Catholic Church and other local partners in El Salvador, the Salvadoran government does not have adequate humanitarian capacity to receive, protect, or integrate back into society safely this many people,” said Catholic Relief Services in a statement released shortly after the decision was announced.
The Highlander: “Save TPS”: Students march for immigrant protections By Mark Bertumen
Student protesters were gathered around the UCR Bell Tower around 12:30 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 18 to promote awareness of the Temporary Protected Status (TPS), which allows people who illegally immigrated from countries ravaged by armed conflict and natural disaster to temporarily reside in the United States.
This protest was organized in response to the recently planned removal of countries eligible for the program by the Department of Homeland Security. As of now, TPS eligibility to citizens from five countries (Haiti, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua and Sudan) has been given an “expiration date” and will be removed from the program in the near future.
