SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
Democratic Reps. Ayanna Pressley (Mass.) and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (N.Y.) joined Temporary Protected Status (TPS) holders from Nepal and Honduras for a rally outside the White House on Tuesday morning. (Photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images)
'We Will Be That Lantern on the Shore': Ocasio-Cortez, Pressley Rally With TPS Holders Outside Trump White House
Demonstration follows federal suit charging administration's effort to end protected status motivated by 'racial animus' of president
Feb 11, 2019
Immigrant rights advocates and Temporary Protected Status (TPS) holders from Nepal and Honduras--joined by Democratic Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (N.Y.) and Ayanna Pressley (Mass.)--rallied outside the White House on Tuesday morning to protest the Trump administration's moves to revoke protected status from people residing in the United States due to dangerous conditions in their home countries.
Critics charge that the ongoing efforts to end TPS are motivated by President Donald Trump's racism against "non-white, non-European immigrants." The TPS holders, activists, and lawmakers who turned out for the March for TPS Justice despite the winter weather called on Congress to "take action to #SaveTPS and create permanent protections that give residency to immigrant youth and TPS holders."
"We will be that lantern on the shore. We will be here in case of humanitarian disaster. We will be here in case of natural disaster, war, et cetera. We are a nation that turns peril into promise. We are a nation that builds from many, and we have to protect our basic character as a nation to be that," Ocasio-Cortez told the crowd. "We are here to make sure that all TPS recipients become permanent members of the United States of America."
Pressley, for her part, said: "You are the true patriots, you are the true Americans, and we are not out here demanding charity--we are demanding what you have earned!"
The demonstration that kicked off at the White House at 9am local time followed the filing of a class-action lawsuit (pdf) on Monday. The suit outlines the president's racist push to end protections for Nepali and Honduran TPS holders, which could force the deportation of more than 100,000 people.
"The Trump administration's plan to end TPS for Honduras and Nepal must be stopped before it causes immeasurable harm to TPS holders, their families, and their communities," Jenny Zhao, staff attorney at Advancing Justice-Asian Law Caucus, warned in a statement.
"With TPS I have been able to build a new life here with my family and I have a found a stable job... I wish to continue working to support this country, and also continue supporting the rebuilding of Nepal, which is still recovering from the earthquake."
--Keshav Raj Bhattarai, Nepali TPS holder
Plaintiff Keshav Raj Bhattarai, a Nepali TPS holder and member of the rights group Adhikaar, declared: "I am proud to be a part of this lawsuit, for all the other Nepali TPS holders like me. With TPS I have been able to build a new life here with my family and I have a found a stable job."
"When I see so many people's lives at risk in losing TPS, I am troubled to see that this country would harm its hardworking workers and people," Bhattarais added. "I wish to continue working to support this country, and also continue supporting the rebuilding of Nepal, which is still recovering from the earthquake."
Many have argued that maintaining TPS for Nepalis impacted by the devastating 2015 earthquake is "a moral necessity," and warned that returning Hondurans to a nation destabilized in part by U.S. actions would mean that "families, including children who are U.S. citizens, could risk threats, kidnapping, gender-based violence, or even death."
The suit filed Monday in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California--by a coalition of legal advocacy groups, on behalf of six adults with TPS and two U.S. citizen children of TPS holders--aims to ensure the continued safety of all people from those countries currently residing in the U.S. through the program.
The filing follows an "incredible" court victory in October, when a federal judge issued a temporary injunction blocking the administration from ending protections for more than 300,000 TPS holders from El Salvador, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Sudan--agreeing with plaintiffs' attorneys that "not only is there direct evidence of animus, but there is also circumstantial evidence of race being a motivating factor" for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), under Trump, refusing to renew protections.
"The Trump administration is illegally trying to gut the humanitarian TPS program, but TPS holders are fighting back," concluded Jessica Bansal, co-legal director of National Day Laborer Organizing Network (NDLON). "They have already won a temporary reprieve for hundreds of thousands of TPS holders. With [Monday's] filing, they seek to protect tens of thousands more."
We are at a crossroads
This country and this world are at a monumental crossroads. US voters have an opportunity to beat back the forces of fascism and confront the billionaires who are rigging the economy, our media system, and our democracy, making it increasingly impossible for ordinary people to get by. We’re not just talking about the election. We’re talking about what must be done once these fascist elements are vanquished from power. We need a bolder set of solutions than what either major party has so far been willing to offer and a working-class movement ready to fight like hell for it. Trump didn't emerge from nowhere. The conditions that fueled MAGA authoritarianism were created by decades of radical neoliberal economic policies and a corrupt political system dominated by corporate interests. They slashed taxes on the super-rich, promising that the benefits would trickle down. They said giveaways to the corporate titans would make life more affordable for the rest of us. It was all bullshit. And when a bitter, betrayed populace searches for someone to blame, right-wing demagogues have little trouble finding scapegoats. People know when they're being lied to, but you won't hear any of this from the corporate media. Only independent journalism—powered and funded by people who believe in building a better world—can deliver truly trustworthy daily news. If you share our vision, please contribute whatever you can to sustain our work. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
alexandria ocasio-cortezayanna pressleyel salvadorhondurasimmigrationnepalracismrefugeestrumpismus department of homeland security
Immigrant rights advocates and Temporary Protected Status (TPS) holders from Nepal and Honduras--joined by Democratic Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (N.Y.) and Ayanna Pressley (Mass.)--rallied outside the White House on Tuesday morning to protest the Trump administration's moves to revoke protected status from people residing in the United States due to dangerous conditions in their home countries.
Critics charge that the ongoing efforts to end TPS are motivated by President Donald Trump's racism against "non-white, non-European immigrants." The TPS holders, activists, and lawmakers who turned out for the March for TPS Justice despite the winter weather called on Congress to "take action to #SaveTPS and create permanent protections that give residency to immigrant youth and TPS holders."
"We will be that lantern on the shore. We will be here in case of humanitarian disaster. We will be here in case of natural disaster, war, et cetera. We are a nation that turns peril into promise. We are a nation that builds from many, and we have to protect our basic character as a nation to be that," Ocasio-Cortez told the crowd. "We are here to make sure that all TPS recipients become permanent members of the United States of America."
Pressley, for her part, said: "You are the true patriots, you are the true Americans, and we are not out here demanding charity--we are demanding what you have earned!"
The demonstration that kicked off at the White House at 9am local time followed the filing of a class-action lawsuit (pdf) on Monday. The suit outlines the president's racist push to end protections for Nepali and Honduran TPS holders, which could force the deportation of more than 100,000 people.
"The Trump administration's plan to end TPS for Honduras and Nepal must be stopped before it causes immeasurable harm to TPS holders, their families, and their communities," Jenny Zhao, staff attorney at Advancing Justice-Asian Law Caucus, warned in a statement.
"With TPS I have been able to build a new life here with my family and I have a found a stable job... I wish to continue working to support this country, and also continue supporting the rebuilding of Nepal, which is still recovering from the earthquake."
--Keshav Raj Bhattarai, Nepali TPS holder
Plaintiff Keshav Raj Bhattarai, a Nepali TPS holder and member of the rights group Adhikaar, declared: "I am proud to be a part of this lawsuit, for all the other Nepali TPS holders like me. With TPS I have been able to build a new life here with my family and I have a found a stable job."
"When I see so many people's lives at risk in losing TPS, I am troubled to see that this country would harm its hardworking workers and people," Bhattarais added. "I wish to continue working to support this country, and also continue supporting the rebuilding of Nepal, which is still recovering from the earthquake."
Many have argued that maintaining TPS for Nepalis impacted by the devastating 2015 earthquake is "a moral necessity," and warned that returning Hondurans to a nation destabilized in part by U.S. actions would mean that "families, including children who are U.S. citizens, could risk threats, kidnapping, gender-based violence, or even death."
The suit filed Monday in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California--by a coalition of legal advocacy groups, on behalf of six adults with TPS and two U.S. citizen children of TPS holders--aims to ensure the continued safety of all people from those countries currently residing in the U.S. through the program.
The filing follows an "incredible" court victory in October, when a federal judge issued a temporary injunction blocking the administration from ending protections for more than 300,000 TPS holders from El Salvador, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Sudan--agreeing with plaintiffs' attorneys that "not only is there direct evidence of animus, but there is also circumstantial evidence of race being a motivating factor" for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), under Trump, refusing to renew protections.
"The Trump administration is illegally trying to gut the humanitarian TPS program, but TPS holders are fighting back," concluded Jessica Bansal, co-legal director of National Day Laborer Organizing Network (NDLON). "They have already won a temporary reprieve for hundreds of thousands of TPS holders. With [Monday's] filing, they seek to protect tens of thousands more."
Immigrant rights advocates and Temporary Protected Status (TPS) holders from Nepal and Honduras--joined by Democratic Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (N.Y.) and Ayanna Pressley (Mass.)--rallied outside the White House on Tuesday morning to protest the Trump administration's moves to revoke protected status from people residing in the United States due to dangerous conditions in their home countries.
Critics charge that the ongoing efforts to end TPS are motivated by President Donald Trump's racism against "non-white, non-European immigrants." The TPS holders, activists, and lawmakers who turned out for the March for TPS Justice despite the winter weather called on Congress to "take action to #SaveTPS and create permanent protections that give residency to immigrant youth and TPS holders."
"We will be that lantern on the shore. We will be here in case of humanitarian disaster. We will be here in case of natural disaster, war, et cetera. We are a nation that turns peril into promise. We are a nation that builds from many, and we have to protect our basic character as a nation to be that," Ocasio-Cortez told the crowd. "We are here to make sure that all TPS recipients become permanent members of the United States of America."
Pressley, for her part, said: "You are the true patriots, you are the true Americans, and we are not out here demanding charity--we are demanding what you have earned!"
The demonstration that kicked off at the White House at 9am local time followed the filing of a class-action lawsuit (pdf) on Monday. The suit outlines the president's racist push to end protections for Nepali and Honduran TPS holders, which could force the deportation of more than 100,000 people.
"The Trump administration's plan to end TPS for Honduras and Nepal must be stopped before it causes immeasurable harm to TPS holders, their families, and their communities," Jenny Zhao, staff attorney at Advancing Justice-Asian Law Caucus, warned in a statement.
"With TPS I have been able to build a new life here with my family and I have a found a stable job... I wish to continue working to support this country, and also continue supporting the rebuilding of Nepal, which is still recovering from the earthquake."
--Keshav Raj Bhattarai, Nepali TPS holder
Plaintiff Keshav Raj Bhattarai, a Nepali TPS holder and member of the rights group Adhikaar, declared: "I am proud to be a part of this lawsuit, for all the other Nepali TPS holders like me. With TPS I have been able to build a new life here with my family and I have a found a stable job."
"When I see so many people's lives at risk in losing TPS, I am troubled to see that this country would harm its hardworking workers and people," Bhattarais added. "I wish to continue working to support this country, and also continue supporting the rebuilding of Nepal, which is still recovering from the earthquake."
Many have argued that maintaining TPS for Nepalis impacted by the devastating 2015 earthquake is "a moral necessity," and warned that returning Hondurans to a nation destabilized in part by U.S. actions would mean that "families, including children who are U.S. citizens, could risk threats, kidnapping, gender-based violence, or even death."
The suit filed Monday in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California--by a coalition of legal advocacy groups, on behalf of six adults with TPS and two U.S. citizen children of TPS holders--aims to ensure the continued safety of all people from those countries currently residing in the U.S. through the program.
The filing follows an "incredible" court victory in October, when a federal judge issued a temporary injunction blocking the administration from ending protections for more than 300,000 TPS holders from El Salvador, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Sudan--agreeing with plaintiffs' attorneys that "not only is there direct evidence of animus, but there is also circumstantial evidence of race being a motivating factor" for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), under Trump, refusing to renew protections.
"The Trump administration is illegally trying to gut the humanitarian TPS program, but TPS holders are fighting back," concluded Jessica Bansal, co-legal director of National Day Laborer Organizing Network (NDLON). "They have already won a temporary reprieve for hundreds of thousands of TPS holders. With [Monday's] filing, they seek to protect tens of thousands more."
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.
To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good.
News & Opinion
Trending
Common Dreams, Inc. Founded 1997. Registered 501(c3) Non-Profit
Privacy Policy