For Immediate Release
April 26, 2018
Contact: info@undocublack.org, 443-300-6516
Washington, DC - In an unpopular decision, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielson announced the termination of Temporary Protected Status for Nepal today. The law is clear, it requires DHS to extend TPS if the home country has not recovered from the initial disaster prompting the designation, Nepal has not. Nepal is the sixth country to have their TPS or DED status terminated by the Trump Administration, joining Sudan, Haiti, El Salvador, Nicaragua and Liberia. The decisions for Honduras, Somalia and Yemen are fast approaching.
According to various studies including those by the 2015 earthquake in Nepal destroyed over 750,000 homes, 900 health care facilities and 7,000 classrooms. A short 3 years later, the country still suffers from lack of infrastructural and basic needs including accessible food and water. The 9000 Nepalis covered by TPS presently build and assist their home country while strengthening the U.S.
“Nepal TPS extension should have been a fairly easy one to make, the need is clear.It is dumbfounding how this Administration does not care to hide their bias and their fundamental problem of racism. Yet again, Secretary Nielson has made a decision to end protection for a vulnerable country based on feelings of entitlement instead of facts. It is unoriginal and follows the pattern of her two predecessors in just this short 15 catastrophic months since the Trump Administration took power: Acting Secretary Elaine Duke and Secretary Kelly. If ever we beckon to the need for the other branch of government to rise up, Congress, it is now. The list of instances of disregard for human rights and dignity just keeps getting longer and longer.”
- Patrice Lawrence, National Policy & Advocacy Director, UndocuBlack Network
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