NEW YORK, NY – Today, the New York Immigration Coalition (NYIC), 32BJ SEIU, Make the Road New York, and recipients of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) held a press conference to speak out against Secretary Tillerson’s recommendation to end TPS and to call on Representative Daniel Donovan (R-NY) to support legislation to protect TPS recipients. Temporary Protected Status (TPS) is a designation afforded to nationals of countries all over the globe experiencing humanitarian crisis such as violent conflict, environmental disasters, or epidemics that would prevent nationals from returning safely. As of today, there are an estimated 325,000 TPS recipients living in the United States, representing ten TPS-designated countries: El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, Nepal, Nicaragua, Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan, Syria, and Yemen. Over 30,000 TPS recipients reside in New York, including 16,200 Salvadorans, 4,600 Hondurans, and 5,200 Haitians.
“The Trump administration's recommendation to terminate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for hundreds of thousands of people from all over the globe living in the United States is cruel and shameful. America will not be greater or safer by sending back people who’ve made their lives here and have contributed over a billion dollars to New York’s GDP, ” said Steven Choi, Executive Director for The New York Immigration Coalition.
“On April 25, 2015, my family in Nepal– and hundreds of thousands of others– was impacted by the devastating earthquake. As soon as we heard about the devastation of the earthquake, Adhikaar worked with community members, along with Nepali and other non-Nepali partner organizations, to fight for TPS. In June of 2015, the Department of Homeland Security granted TPS for Nepali citizens and in 2016, TPS was renewed for a second year. I am one of the 8,950 Nepali TPS recipients. TPS helped me continue my job at Adhikaar while supporting my family in Nepal on their long, ongoing road to recovery,” said Namrata Pradhan, organizer from Adhikaar.
NYIC is strongly encouraging supporters of TPS to call their congressional representatives at 202-224-3121 to demand a permanent legislative solution.
###
The New York Immigration Coalition (NYIC) is an umbrella policy and advocacy organization for nearly 200 groups in New York State. We envision a New York state that is stronger because all people are welcome, treated fairly, and given the chance to pursue their dreams. Our mission is to unite immigrants, members, & allies so all New Yorkers can thrive. We represent the collective interests of New York's diverse immigrant communities and organizations and devise solutions to advance them; advocate for laws, policies, and programs that lead to justice and opportunity for all immigrant groups; and build the power of immigrants and the organizations that serve them to ensure their sustainability, to improve people's lives, and to strengthen our state.