Since 1990, Temporary Protected Status (TPS) has been used to give protections for immigrants fleeing natural disasters, political instability, and humanitarian crises.
In addition to granting lifesaving protections to refugees seeking asylum from dangerous conditions, TPS is a beneficial tool that can help create stability and economic recovery through remittances.
In other words: the remittances sent by TPS holders in the US can help prevent the need for others in their countries of origin to seek asylum in the United States.
- Remittances, or money transfers from people living in one country to families in a different one, play a large role in helping create stability in countries affected by disasters and play a key role in sustaining struggling economies. This is especially true for TPS holders, 77% of whom send remittances back to their country of origin, including up to 9% of their monthly wages.
- A path to permanent residency for TPS holders has socioeconomic and regional security implications. Remittances make up more than 15% of the GDP in TPS-designated countries. A path to citizenship would not only grant long-awaited stability to TPS holders who have lived here for years or decades, it would ensure that remittances continue to be sent to these countries who rely on the economic relief. With permanent residency and a path to citizenship, wages for current TPS holders would be expected to rise over time, augmenting the flow of remittances.
- The Dream and Promise Act is not only beneficial for DACA recipients, TPS and DED holders, and their families here in the U.S., but is also relevant as part of a larger, regional approach to Central America and other regions encountering ongoing conflict. Because economic relief is an important part of recovery, sustained remittances secured by the Dream and Promise Act should be seen as part of ongoing economic, diplomatic and humanitarian aid efforts to stabilize countries where some feel they have no alternatives but to emigrate.
