ACTION ALERT:

Extend Temporary Status

The United States is currently home to over 300,000 immigrants from ten countries who receive Temporary Protected Status (TPS).  TPS has given these individuals the opportunity to rebuild their lives in the U.S. when conditions in their countries of origin, such as natural disasters or armed conflict, prevent their return. Many of them have lived here for years.  They are integrated into our communities – they are our neighbors, fellow parishioners, sisters and brothers.  Many have U.S. citizen siblings, spouses, or children.

In the coming weeks, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will determine whether to extend or terminate this status for individuals from Haiti, El Salvador, Honduras, and Nicaragua.  Conditions have only worsened in these countries since their original TPS designation, including high levels of poverty, and in some cases, extraordinarily high levels of violence.

In the U.S., the termination of TPS would make TPS holders highly vulnerable to deportation and the loss of work permits. It would separate families, impacts which are also felt in schools, in the workplace, and in communities.  Further, deporting thousands of people to countries that are not in conditions to receive and reintegrate them would be devastating to those deported, and would undermine advances made toward greater security and opportunity.

Together with the U.S. Catholic Bishops and the Jesuits of the United States, we have consistently called for a long-term solution that respects the value of family unity and recognizes the dignity of immigrants, including a pathway to citizenship. In the absence of a more permanent solution, we urge Congress to call for the extension of TPS for Haiti, El Salvador, Honduras, and Nicaragua.

Please join the Ignatian network, in solidarity with those impacted by these decisions, and urge support for the extension of TPS.

Take Action!