Author: Lauri Alvarez
One thing is certain: we will always provide you with opportunities to urge our members of Congress and the Biden Administration to do the right thing, and today is no exception. So far, in the President’s latest flurry of executive orders, we haven’t heard much about one community that urgently needs protection—our TPSianos.
We all saw the devastation that Hurricanes Eta and Iota left in their wake across Central America and the thought of sending our community members back to that devastation is not an option. Granting Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to our Honduran, Nicaraguan, Salvadoran, and Guatemalan community members because of the hurricanes will protect hundreds of thousands of people and save lives. This is an immediate first step the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) can take in our quest for permanent protections.
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What You Can Do
Representative Velázquez (D-NY) is circulating a Dear Colleague letter to the DHS Secretary and the Secretary of State on the necessity of granting TPS to those impacted by the hurricanes. We need you to contact your members of Congress to get them to sign onto the letter by February 8! Rep. Coleman (D-NJ), Rep. Espaillat (D-NY), Rep. Jones (R-NC), Rep. Lofgren (D-CA), Rep. Schakowsky (D-IL), Rep. McGovern (D-MA), and Rep. Sires (D-NJ) have already signed on. If you don’t see your member listed, then get their phones ringing off the hook and flood their inbox to sign on!
- Call your representative! Find them here >>>
o Sample Script: As we’re facing our own crisis here at home the thought of sending our community members back to countries destroyed by hurricanes and the pandemic is just plain wrong. The administration has the authority to grant TPS for Central American countries and they should do so immediately. If protecting our immigrant communities is a priority we must support them when their safety is at risk. I urge Representative _____ to sign Rep. Velázquez’s letter on TPS.
- Email your representative and tell them to sign the letter!
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We know that granting TPS is not a long-term solution for our TPSianos but it would protect them for the next 18 months as their home countries recover from the hurricanes. They need protection and they need it now.
