The United States is currently home to over 300,000 immigrants from 10 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. Unfortunately, most of these individuals will lose their temporary protection in the coming year to two years, as the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has decided to terminate the status for most of the designated countries despite the taxing conditions they face.

In the coming days, DHS will determine whether to extend or terminate this status for about 57,000 individuals from Honduras. Conditions have only worsened in Honduras since its original TPS designation, particularly since the country’s presidential elections last November.  In addition to already high levels of poverty and violence, Hondurans have suffered extreme violations to their human rights when they turned out to protest fraudulent elections. Over 30 individuals have been killed, most by Honduran security forces, and many more have been wounded, detained, and criminalized for exercising this right. Together with our brother Jesuits in Latin America and at Radio Progreso, a Jesuit-sponsored human rights ministry, we have denounced this violence and called for democracy and respect for the dignity of the Honduran people.

This is not a context to which Hondurans can safely return. Terminating the temporary status of these individuals and asking them to return to Honduras means putting lives at risk. We are also concerned about the impacts this decision will have within the U.S., as the loss of work permits and vulnerability to deportation both deeply impact the well-being of families, schools, and communities.

Together with the U.S. Catholic Bishops, 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 Honduras.

Please join us, in solidarity with those most directly impacted by these decisions, in calling for support for the extension of TPS.