Catholic Partners Urge 18-month Extension of Temporary Protected Status for El Salvador
WASHINGTON—OnDecember 20, 2017, Bishop Joe S. Vásquez of Austin, Texas, Chairman of theUSCCB Committee on Migration, was joined by Catholic Legal Immigration Network,Inc. (CLINIC), Catholic Relief Services (CRS), Catholic Charities USA (CCUSA),and Scalabrini International Migration Network (SIMN) in
WASHINGTON—OnDecember 20, 2017, Bishop Joe S. Vásquez of Austin, Texas, Chairman of theUSCCB Committee on Migration, was joined by Catholic Legal Immigration Network,Inc. (CLINIC), Catholic Relief Services (CRS), Catholic Charities USA (CCUSA),and Scalabrini International Migration Network (SIMN) in sending a letter toSecretary of Homeland Security, Kirstjen Nielsen, urging an 18-month extensionof Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for El Salvador.
TPS is a temporary, renewable,and statutorily authorized immigration status that allows individuals to remainand work lawfully in the U.S. during a period in which it is deemed unsafe fornationals of that country to return home.
El Salvador's current TPSdesignation extends through March 9, 2018, however, the Department of HomelandSecurity is required to make a decision to terminate or extend TPS for thecountry by January 8, 2018. In their letter, the Catholic partners urgedSecretary Nielsen to extend TPS for El Salvador, noting that "terminating TPSfor El Salvador would likely destabilize this key strategic, regional partner,undermining the tremendous investments of the U.S. government."
As discussed in the USCCB/MRStrip report, Temporary Protected Status: A Vital Piece of the CentralAmerican Protection and Prosperity Puzzle, ElSalvador is currently in no position to safely accommodate the return of the roughly200,000 Salvadorans who have TPS. Noting the concerning country conditions, theCatholic partners urged Secretary Nielsen to "show compassion and patience asEl Salvador continues to improve its citizen security and humanitarian capacityfor reception, protection, and integration."
The letter also reiterated theChurch's commitment to stand "ready to support measures to protect thewell-being and dignity of Salvadoran families here and abroad."
Read the full letter here:
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Keywords: U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, USCCB, BishopJoe Vásquez, Committeeon Migration, Migration and Refugee Services, Catholic Relief Services,Catholic Charities USA, Center for Migration Studies, Department of HomelandSecurity, Temporary Protected Status, TPS recipients, TPS beneficiaries,Congress, Honduras, El Salvador, refugees, migration, prayers, families, legislativesolution
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