Catholic Partners Urge 18-month Extension of Temporary Protected Status for El Salvador
WASHINGTON—On
December 20, 2017, Bishop Joe S. Vásquez of Austin, Texas, Chairman of the
USCCB 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 to
Secretary of Homeland Security, Kirstjen Nielsen, urging an 18-month extension
of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for El Salvador.
TPS is a temporary, renewable,
and statutorily authorized immigration status that allows individuals to remain
and work lawfully in the U.S. during a period in which it is deemed unsafe for
nationals of that country to return home.
El Salvador’s current TPS
designation extends through March 9, 2018, however, the Department of Homeland
Security is required to make a decision to terminate or extend TPS for the
country by January 8, 2018. In their letter, the Catholic partners urged
Secretary Nielsen to extend TPS for El Salvador, noting that “terminating TPS
for El Salvador would likely destabilize this key strategic, regional partner,
undermining the tremendous investments of the U.S. government.”
As discussed in the USCCB/MRS
trip report, Temporary Protected Status: A Vital Piece of the Central
American Protection and Prosperity Puzzle, El
Salvador is currently in no position to safely accommodate the return of the roughly
200,000 Salvadorans who have TPS. Noting the concerning country conditions, the
Catholic partners urged Secretary Nielsen to “show compassion and patience as
El Salvador continues to improve its citizen security and humanitarian capacity
for reception, protection, and integration.”
The letter also reiterated the
Church’s commitment to stand “ready to support measures to protect the
well-being and dignity of Salvadoran families here and abroad.”
Read the full letter here:
—
Keywords: U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, USCCB, Bishop
Joe Vásquez, Committee
on Migration, Migration and Refugee Services, Catholic Relief Services,
Catholic Charities USA, Center for Migration Studies, Department of Homeland
Security, Temporary Protected Status, TPS recipients, TPS beneficiaries,
Congress, Honduras, El Salvador, refugees, migration, prayers, families, legislative
solution
###
Media Contact:
Judy Keane
202-541-3200
Categories
From the Desk of Fr. JohnSs. Peter & Paul NewsU.S. Conf. of Catholic BishopsVatican Information ServiceWhat's HappeningUpcoming Events
