For Immediate Release: November 6, 2017
Contact: Jareyah Bradley, jareyah@balestramedia.com, (908) 242-4822
Ending Temporary Protected Status for Nicaragua is Morally Reprehensible, says the Immigrant Legal Resource Center
Today, the Trump Administration announced it is terminating Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Nicaragua. Beneficiaries of the program have 12 months before they will be out of status and subject to deportation. There are currently 2500 Nicaraguans with TPS living and working in the US that will be affected by this decision.
The Acting Secretary of Homeland Security did not make a decision with regard to Honduras, thus automatically extending the current TPS designation for six months – through July 5, 2018. Acting Secretary Duke cited needing “additional time” to assess relevant country conditions in Honduras in order to make an appropriate determination.
Said Amanda Baran, Policy Consultant at the Immigrant Legal Resource Center and co-author of ILRC’s report “Economic Contributions by Salvadoran, Honduran and Haitian TPS Holders”:
“The Department of Homeland Security’s decision to terminate this protection for people who cannot safely return to their home countries is morally reprehensible. For almost two decades, TPS holders from Nicaragua have lived alongside us and contributed to our economy and our communities. They are our neighbors, our co-workers, and parents to U.S. citizen children. Deporting them will needlessly tear thousands of families apart, with no plan in place to help them after breaking our decades-long commitment to protect them from deportation. In the face of this decision, it is imperative that Congress act and find a durable solution for this population.”
“Beyond it being immoral, deporting essential U.S. workers lacks any economic sense whatsoever. Asking taxpayers to fork over $3 billion dollars to deport TPS recipients, who boost our economy by billions of dollars, is without reason. This decision will cost employers over a billion dollars to rehire and retrain new employees, and our government billions more in lost tax revenue.”
The ILRC released “Economic Contributions by Salvadoran, Honduran and Haitian TPS Holders” earlier this year which shows that deporting current Haitian, Salvadoran and Honduran TPS holders would cost our nation more than $3.1 billion; lead to a GDP reduction of $45.2 billion over a decade; and incur $6.9 billion in lost Social Security and Medicare contributions over a decade. The ILRC report “Relief Not Raids: Temporary Protected Status for El Salvador, Guatemala & Honduras” outlines the legal and factual grounds for designating these Central American countries for TPS and the impact it would have on these communities.
For interviews with Immigrant Legal Resource Center, please contact Jareyah Bradley at jareyah@balestramedia.com or 908.242.4822.
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About the Immigrant Legal Resource Center
The Immigrant Legal Resource Center (ILRC) is a national nonprofit that works with immigrants, community organizations, legal professionals, and policy makers to build a democratic society that values diversity and the rights of all people. Through community education programs, legal training & technical assistance, and policy development & advocacy, the ILRC’s mission is to protect and defend the fundamental rights of immigrant families and communities. www.ilrc.org