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The Progressive

NewsWire

A project of Common Dreams

For Immediate Release
The American Immigration Council
Contact:

Wendy Feliz, wfeliz@immcouncil.org, 202-812-2499

TPS for Nicaragua Ended, Honduras Not Yet Decided, Thus Extended for Six Months

Tonight, the Department of Homeland Security ended Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Nicaragua. This decision means 5,300 Nicaraguan nationals will lose their temporary status to live and work in this country, despite the fact that many have lived lawfully here for nearly 20 years. The effective date of the termination of TPS for Nicaragua will be delayed 12 months, until January 5, 2019. These long-term residents deserve a permanent solution and right to remain in the United States. It's up to Congress to act.

WASHINGTON

Tonight, the Department of Homeland Security ended Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Nicaragua. This decision means 5,300 Nicaraguan nationals will lose their temporary status to live and work in this country, despite the fact that many have lived lawfully here for nearly 20 years. The effective date of the termination of TPS for Nicaragua will be delayed 12 months, until January 5, 2019. These long-term residents deserve a permanent solution and right to remain in the United States. It's up to Congress to act.

Regarding Honduras, the acting Secretary of Homeland Security Elaine Duke concluded "that despite receiving input from a broad spectrum of sources, additional time is necessary to obtain and assess supplemental information pertaining to country conditions in Honduras in order to make an appropriately deliberative TPS designation determination." No determination today means an automatic extension of the current TPS designation for Honduras for six months, through July 5, 2018.

Nicaraguans and Hondurans with TPS will be required to reapply for Employment Authorization Documents, though Hondurans will only be able to renew for six months, in order to legally work in the United States until the end of the respective termination or extension periods.

According to Royce Bernstein Murray, Policy Director of the American Immigration Council:

"The urgent need for a renewal of TPS for Hondurans cannot be understated. Who gains when we take away lawful status from tens of thousands of people, many of whom have lived here, paid taxes, and registered with the government for decades? TPS holders have provided their personal information, undergone background checks, and now could be at risk of losing their ability to work lawfully and support their families. People with TPS should not be subjected to the risk of deportation to countries that remain dangerous and unstable. If the administration won't protect them, Congress must provide a permanent solution."

The American Immigration Council, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, is a powerful voice in promoting laws, policies, and attitudes that honor our proud history as a nation of immigrants. Through research and policy analysis, litigation and communications, and international exchange, the Council seeks to shape a twenty-first century vision of the American immigrant experience.