WASHINGTON—The U.S. Conference of
Catholic Bishops’ Office of Migration and Refugee
Services (USCCB/MRS), released its report today, entitled Temporary
Protected Status: A Vital Piece of the Central American Protection and
Prosperity Puzzle recommending the U.S. government
extend 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 of
introduction of the report states: “As this report indicates, there is ample
evidence to suggest that current TPS recipients from Honduras and El Salvador
cannot return safely to their home country at this time.”

A delegation from MRS/USCCB traveled
to Honduras and El Salvador, from August 13 to 19, 2017, to examine conditions
in both countries regarding Honduras and El Salvador’s ability to adequately
receive and integrate the possible return of existing TPS recipients. USCCB/MRS
Committee 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 Honduras
have Temporary Protected Status (TPS) from the U.S. government for certain
nationals living in the United States, and the review of TPS is shortly to be
re-evaluated by the U.S. government. It is estimated that there are
approximately 200,000 current TPS recipients from El Salvador and 57,000 TPS recipients
from Honduras living in the United States. TPS recipients living in the United
States are parents to over 270,000 U.S. citizen children and are very
integrated into American daily life.

Bishop Vásquez states in his
introductory letter: “As you read this report, I urge you to keep the people of
El Salvador and Honduras, including TPS recipients, in your thoughts and
prayers. I encourage you to engage the Administration in requesting a TPS
extension for El Salvador and Honduras . . . and to reach out to your elected
Congressional leaders to request they support a legislative solution for TPS
recipients who have been in the United States for many years.”

Resources and information about Temporary Protected
Status and the report are available on the Justice for Immigrants website www.justiceforimmigrants.org. The information includes a
backgrounder on the temporary protected status and a toolkit for Catholic
leaders that offers ideas on how to show their support and solidarity with TPS
recipients.

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, Committee
on Migration, Migration and Refugee Services, Temporary Protected Status, TPS
recipients, TPS beneficiaries, Congress, Honduras, El Salvador, refugees,
migration, prayers, legislative solution

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Media Contact:
Judy Keane
202-541-3200

Source:: United States Conference of Catholic Bishops