USCCB Migration and Refugee Services Release Report Recommending Extension of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for El Salvador and Honduras

WASHINGTON—The U.S. Conference ofCatholic Bishops' Office of Migration and RefugeeServices (USCCB/MRS), released its report today, entitled TemporaryProtected Status: A Vital Piece of the Central American Protection andProsperity Puzzle recommending the U.S. governmentextend Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for El Salvador and Honduras.

Bishop Joe S. Vásquez of Austin,Texas, Chairman of the USCCB Committee on Migration, in a letter ofintroduction of the report states: "As this report indicates, there is ampleevidence to suggest that current TPS recipients from Honduras and El Salvadorcannot return safely to their home country at this time."

A delegation from MRS/USCCB traveledto Honduras and El Salvador, from August 13 to 19, 2017, to examine conditionsin both countries regarding Honduras and El Salvador's ability to adequatelyreceive and integrate the possible return of existing TPS recipients. USCCB/MRSCommittee Member, Auxiliary Bishop David O'Connell of Los Angeles, California,led the delegation and was accompanied by MRS staff from Children's Services,Policy and Public Affairs, and the National Collections offices.

Currently, El Salvador and Hondurashave Temporary Protected Status (TPS) from the U.S. government for certainnationals living in the United States, and the review of TPS is shortly to bere-evaluated by the U.S. government. It is estimated that there areapproximately 200,000 current TPS recipients from El Salvador and 57,000 TPS recipientsfrom Honduras living in the United States. TPS recipients living in the UnitedStates are parents to over 270,000 U.S. citizen children and are veryintegrated into American daily life.

Bishop Vásquez states in hisintroductory letter: "As you read this report, I urge you to keep the people ofEl Salvador and Honduras, including TPS recipients, in your thoughts andprayers. I encourage you to engage the Administration in requesting a TPSextension for El Salvador and Honduras . . . and to reach out to your electedCongressional leaders to request they support a legislative solution for TPSrecipients who have been in the United States for many years."

Resources and information about Temporary ProtectedStatus and the report are available on the Justice for Immigrants website www.justiceforimmigrants.org. The information includes abackgrounder on the temporary protected status and a toolkit for Catholicleaders that offers ideas on how to show their support and solidarity with TPSrecipients.

The full text of the report can be found here: https://www.usccb.org/about/migration-policy/fact-finding-mission-reports/upload/el-salvador-honduras-report-20171016.pdf.

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Keywords: U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, USCCB, Bishop Joe Vasquez, Committeeon Migration, Migration and Refugee Services, Temporary Protected Status, TPSrecipients, TPS beneficiaries, Congress, Honduras, El Salvador, refugees,migration, prayers, legislative solution

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Judy Keane
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