149 Immigrants’ Rights Groups Urge Biden Administration to Fix Failing Liberian Green Card Program as Time Runs Out

Date: August 17, 2021

Press contact: Nathaniel Hoffman, nathaniel.hoffman@gmail.com, 208-891-6672

WASHINGTON —  Nearly 150 immigrant rights organizations, led by the LRIF Strategy Group, sent a letter to the Biden administration today urging officials to fix critical flaws in the Liberian Refugee Immigration Fairness (LRIF) program. The LRIF program’s historic significance as one of the few pathways to citizenship passed through Congress in decades — through a budget bill — specifically benefiting Black immigrants, is at risk of failure due to the USCIS processing delays, impossible to meet evidentiary requirements, lack of culturally competent outreach, and more. 

“LRIF is historic for Black immigrants in its own right, but it is also a test case for the legalization of 11 million undocumented people living in the U.S.,” said Breanne Palmer, Interim Policy & Advocacy Director at the UndocuBlack Network. “If the Biden administration, DHS, and USCIS cannot successfully and equitably implement a program benefiting at most 10,300 people, how can they possibly fulfill the campaign promises of permanent protection for our larger community? It is high time for the Biden administration to treat LRIF with the urgency it deserves, and to deliver justice to the Liberians living in the U.S. who can benefit from it.”

In-person interview requirements, lengthy processing times, and distrust of a program passed under the Trump administration have made applicants reluctant to come forward and apply for the benefit. With approximately 5 months until the program’s deadline, data released by the Congressional Research Service on May 6, shows that out of 10,000 eligible individuals, the federal government has processed fewer than 800 applications. The current deadline for LRIF applications from eligible Liberians with deep roots in the U.S. is December 20. Advocates and applicants remain confused about how to apply and prove their eligibility for the program, despite improved language inserted into the USCIS Policy Manual in June 2021. 

Many LRIF-eligible Liberians previously lived on temporary immigration statuses including both Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) due to two civil wars and the Ebola epidemic in Liberia. LRIF provides permanent status to eligible Liberians who have been in the U.S. since at least Nov. 20, 2014. It passed Congress as part of the 2019 National Defense Authorization Act, originally as a one-year program. But significant processing delays and burdensome requirements — requirements made impossible to meet because of the compounding COVID-19 pandemic — led advocates to fight for and secure a one-year extension.

The LRIF Strategy Group —  a focused coalition of local, state, and national-level organizations that provide direct legal and other community-based services to Liberians in the United States including experts in USCIS operations, implementation issues, and Liberian cultural competency —  have sent multiple sets of recommendations to the Biden administration to address the ongoing issues and ensure the program meets Congressional intent. Now, 149 organizations join the LRIF Strategy Group in calling on the Biden administration to do more to ensure the program is a success.

“As the December 20 deadline quickly approaches, we urge the administration to step up its efforts to ensure that LRIF is successful,” said Diana Konate, Policy Director at African Communities Together. “While we've been encouraged by some of the steps taken by USCIS, we remain disheartened that many of the previous administration's policies that we saw create barriers to the program continue under the Biden administration. Our Liberian community members continue to complain about onerous and confusing documentary requirements. We also have not seen outreach and education of the Liberian community significantly improve. And it is completely unacceptable that USCIS has processed so few applications. Simply put, more needs to be done. And there is not much time. In addition to the recommendations to USCIS, we also call on Congress to eliminate the upcoming LRIF deadline. At this point, it serves no purpose.” 

“While the Biden administration did not create all the issues in the LRIF program, it is responsible for fixing them,” said Lisa Parisio, Director of Advocacy at the Catholic Legal Immigration Network. “Time is running out and we still need expansive, culturally competent outreach to get the Liberian community the information and other resources they need to apply. We also need USCIS to remove barriers and obstacles, such as incredibly burdensome and difficult to meet evidentiary requirements, which are blocking Liberians’ access to the program. While these are serious challenges, they are not insurmountable. The Biden administration has the choice to dedicate the resources and attention necessary to make LRIF a success and we are calling on them not to waste another minute.”  

Read the full text of the letter here.

UndocuBlack Network Urges Senate Judiciary Committee to Ensure a Fair and Equitable Process for Developing Pathway to Citizenship

For Immediate Release

For Immediate Release

Aug. 11, 2021

Contact: Bethelhem T. Negash, bethelhem@undocublack.org

WASHINGTON – ,The UndocuBlack Network welcomes the Senate passage of the congressional budget resolution including a pathway to citizenship for DACA and TPS holders, farmworkers, and essential workers and called on legislators to ensure the process is fair and equitable for Black immigrants. 

“After years of organizing by Black- and people of color-led groups, we are encouraged that the lawmakers have been instructed to develop a pathway to citizenship for undocumented people including DACA recipients and TPS holders,” said Patrice Lawrence, Co-Director of UndocuBlack Network “But good intentions must be followed by intentional and precise action. Since people of African and Caribbean descent are often erased from the immigration narrative, their unique needs are often overlooked. This places them at heightened risk for criminalization, which makes citizenship unlikely and, in some cases, impossible. Black immigrants experience the double whammy of being Black in an anti-Black nation and being undocumented in a country generally hostile to immigrants. Any approach to creating a pathway to citizenship must take these factors into account.”

“Since lawmakers will have discretion in determining who is eligible for citizenship, they must ensure that people of African descent are not disqualified on the basis of race while taking into account the heightened risk of criminalization for Black people in the U.S.,” Patrice added.

“Given that the Senate Judiciary Committee has also been instructed to expand enforcement activity, we must note that the administration cannot be double-minded in its approach to immigration,” said Yoliswa Cele, director of narrative and media for the UndocuBlack Network. “The administration should not criminalize vulnerable people for seeking asylum in the U.S. or those attempting to escape harsh conditions in their home country. While we applaud the intention of the budget resolution, it is the execution that really matters.”

Patrice continued to say that it should not have taken a global pandemic to prove the value of immigrants and that it has been many years since a large immigration package has been passed causing many immigrants to fall through the cracks due to red tape and legal loopholes. . “Our worth is our humanity, not our work, but the pandemic illustrated that it is immigrant communities that keep our country afloat. We must work towards justice and dignity for all immigrants, and we will be there every step of the way to make sure a pathway to citizenship is achieved. If you are a man or a woman of dignity, you must keep your promises, and we will be there to ensure members of Congress keep theirs.”

The UndocuBlack Network works to build community with current and former Black immigrants. The group has racked up a series of recent victories including LRIF for Liberians, TPS for Haitians and TPS for Somalis. It also works to shine a light on the exclusion of Black immigrants within the immigration narrative. Its goal is to challenge the criminalization of immigrants, specifically Black immigrants, who would then be barred from benefiting from a pathway to citizenship. 

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Following the Redesignation of Temporary Protected Status for Haiti in May, Federal Registration Notice For Haiti has been published today

The Notice Allows Haitians in the U.S. on or before July 29, 2021 to Apply for TPS

Contact: Bethelhem T. Negash, bethelhem@undocublack.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Washington, DC, July 30, 2021: The UndocuBlack Network welcomes the long anticipated publication of the Haitian TPS Federal Register Notice (FRN) today, which allows Haitians who are already in the United States on or before July 29, 2021 to apply for Temporary Protected Status (TPS).

On May 21, 2021 the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced the redesignation of TPS for Haiti with the official FRN publication pending. TPS for Haiti will potentially benefit over 155,000 Haitian nationals. Haitians applying for TPS will be able to file applications for TPS and employment authorizations online by creating a USCIS account. 

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has previously redesignated TPS for Haiti  for an 18-month period from August 3, 2021 until February 3, 2023. Haitians with TPS during this period will be protected from deportation and will have the ability to obtain employment authorization. The fees for the TPS application and employment authorization application remain the same as before, and fee waivers are available for those with financial hardship.

The UndocuBlack Network encourages applicants, both new TPS applicants or those currently holding TPS for Haiti, to apply immediately during this open period in order to benefit from the protection for as much of the 18-months period as possible. 

Breanne Palmer, Interim Policy & Advocacy Director said: “UndocuBlack Network welcomes the news of the publication of the FRN for TPS for Haiti. In the two months since the Biden Administration announced the redesignation of TPS for Haiti, our Haitian undocumented family has waited with bated breath to learn how they can apply for continued protection. Given the ongoing turmoil Haitians on the island are experiencing, we are relieved that members of the diaspora can count on at least 18 more months of protection from deportation. However, this is another reminder that temporary protections for our Black immigrant community are wholly inadequate. Now is the time for Congress to pass a pathway to citizenship for DED holders, TPS holders, DACA recipients, and all 11 million undocumented immigrants in the U.S. Our community’s needs are more urgent than ever, and Congress and the Biden Administration must deliver on its campaign promises.”

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Republicans Continue Their Attacks on Immigrant Youth Through Yet Another Attempt To Dismantle DACA.

OFFICIAL STATEMENT
July19, 2021

Last Friday afternoon, Judge Andrew Hanen of Texas decided to lead the charge on the continued Republican attack on immigrant youth particularly and immigrant communities as a whole. Federal district Judge Hanen ruled to block the Biden administration from accepting new DACA applicants – claiming the program is not legal.

While more details have to be provided ---what is understood about the ruling so far is that as of July 16, 2021, DHS will no longer be allowed to grant DACA to new applicants and will only continue to process renewals of current recipients and renewal applications that are still in process.  Those that have already applied for their DACA for the first time but have not yet received a decision will not be granted but instead their applications will be frozen and left in limbo as appeals of the Hanen decisions are expected. 

As UndocuBlack Network, we believe the July 15th announcement of a pathway to citizenship through reconciliation followed by a hateful decision out of Texas the very next day July 16th---is case in point as to why Congress must do everything it takes to ensure a bill providing permanent protections for immigrant youth, TPS holders, essential workers, and farm workers. 

Republicans have consistently and unapologetically shown their stance through their hateful dismantling of any immigrant policy gains and blockage of any progress. It’s past time we believed them. 

Congressional Democrats can no longer invest precious time on bi-partisan bargaining on immigration. Our community can not afford them to.

The passing of the Liberian Refugee International Fairness (LRIF) program was the first pathway to citizenship bill to pass Congress in 35 years  and it should not be the last. 

After four years of continuous and relentless attacks on undocumented communities - even as they continue to play instrumental roles in keeping the country alive and moving during a global pandemic and in the recovery efforts - it’s time for supporters of immigration to unconditionally take their position with us once and for all.

There is no building back of America without the inclusion of immigrants. The political moment to pass a citizenship bill is NOW.

“Senate Democrats announce a $3.5 trillion infrastructure budget that includes a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants.”

STATEMENT FOR THE RECORD

July 15, 2021

Yesterday, Senate Democrats announced a $3.5 trillion infrastructure budget that includes a pathway to citizenship for immigrant youth, TPS holders, farm workers, and essential workers  in the Senate budget resolution--a critical and encouraging step towards the fight for immigration. 

Having immigration included within the reconciliation process brings us optimism because the reconciliation process allows for certain bills that meet defined rules to be exempt from the 60 vote threshold required by the Senate filibuster process. Bills that go through the reconciliation process can pass with a simple majority in the Senate--just 51 votes. It’s a process that has been used by both parties on a regular basis in the past few decades. 

After decades of fruitless promises--that have only brought more deportations, restrictions of movement, and oppression to the undocumented community the time for Representatives to show up for our community is now. Our community can not withstand any further hesitation or straddling the fence where our lives are concerned. Thousands of Black immigrants have been displaced, abused, seperated from family, and unjustly deported while we waited for the change that was promised. Thousands of lives continue to be at stake. Performative solidarity from Representatives will no longer suffice. 

The U.S. can not build back better without the inclusion of undocumented immigrants. 

The time to solidify that is NOW.

“In 2021 ‪many  people have claimed to have had a racial reckoning, it is important that that racial reckoning includes those of us that face  the  brunt of racial injustice—Black undocumented people. The time to resolve the immigration crisis through a pathway to citizenship is now—before the next election cycle  and before more politics gets involved.”—Patrice Lawrence Co-director. ‬

THE UNDOCUBLACK NETWORK (UBN), founded in 2016, is a multigenerational network of currently and formerly undocumented Black people that fosters community, facilitates access to resources and contributes to transforming the realities of our people so we are thriving and living our fullest lives. UBN has chapters in New York City, the DC/MD/VA area, and Los Angeles, CA.

Joint Letter to President Biden, DHS, DPC, NSA and DOS on Immediate Protection of Haitians Inside the U.S. and at the Southern Border After Assassination of President Moïse

The Honorable Joseph Biden Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas

President of the United States Department of Homeland Security

Amb. Susan Rice Jake Sullivan

Domestic Policy Council National Security Advisor

Anthony J. Blinken

Secretary of State

Submitted via email July 8, 2021

Re: Joint Letter to President Biden, DHS, DPC, NSA and DOS on Immediate Protection of Haitians Inside the U.S. and at the Southern Border After Assassination of President Moïse

Dear President Biden, Secretary Mayorkas, Amb. Rice, Advisor Sullivan and Secretary Blinken:

The undersigned 134 human rights, humanitarian, immigration and women’s rights organizations come to you in great fear for the people of Haiti after the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse and serious injury of the first lady, Martine Moïse, at home in the middle of the night. 

Armed gangs control many streets and have been kidnapping civilians, including school children and church pastors in the middle of their services. Now, experts warn that the political vacuum left by President Moise’s assassination could exacerbate  the current cycle of violence in Haiti. At this time of great political and social uncertainty, it would be unconscionable and unlawful for the United States to refuse the entry of Haitians seeking protection at the U.S. border or to pursue removal proceedings, detention, deportation or expulsion of any Haitian nationals to conditions that can only be described as dangerous. 

The Biden Administration publicly acknowledged the political turmoil and violence overtaking life in Haiti and rightfully redesignated Haiti for temporary protected status (TPS) on May 22, 2021 for an 18-month period. As DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said in his TPS announcement, 

Haiti is currently experiencing serious security concerns, social unrest, an increase in human rights abuses, crippling poverty, and lack of basic resources, which are exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. . . . After careful consideration, we determined that we must do what we can to support Haitian nationals in the United States until conditions in Haiti improve so they may safely return home.

We are grateful that the Administration took this step as it may provide protection to over one hundred thousand Haitians and their U.S. family members living here, but eligible Haitians still await publication in the Federal Register so that they can apply for TPS. A coherent domestic and foreign policy agenda with Haiti is crucial to ensuring that the rights and protection of Haitians are prioritized through the compassionate exercise of prosecutorial discretion inside the United States and the application of U.S. asylum law to those seeking refuge at the border. No Haitian should be subjected to expedited removal or reinstatement of removal given the lives at stake and the Biden administration’s own assessment of the dangerous conditions in Haiti. 

As Paul Pierrilus, who has been in hiding since he was deported to Haiti in February 2021 even though he was not born in Haiti and is not a Haitian citizen, said today: “If the country is not safe for its own President how can it be safe for someone like me?”

More than one million Haitians and Americans of Haitian descent  are part of our American fabric, establishing robust communities in states such as Florida, New York and Massashusetts where more than two-thirds live, and contributing their literature, art, cuisine, and effort to public health and countless businesses and nonprofits across the United States. Thousands more Haitians are stranded in treacherous conditions in Mexican border towns as they attempt to seek protection in the U.S. but face insurmountable barriers due to Title 42. Over two thousand more have been deported under the Biden Administration back to the same conditions that spurred a redesignation of TPS. We urge the Biden Administration to pursue a coherent domestic and foreign policy agenda, stand in solidarity with the Haitian community and immediately implement the following measures:

• Direct Senior Official Performing the Duties of CBP Commissioner Troy A. Miller to instruct CBP agents and officers to issue parole to all Haitians seeking protection at a U.S. border, refer them into INA Sec. 240 removal proceedings, and then ICE attorneys should join a motion to administratively close 240 proceedings and a referral of any asylum claim to the USCIS Asylum Office for adjudication. Mr. Miller should also direct CBP officers and agents to end Title 42 expulsions and deportation flights and process Haitian and other asylum seekers at ports of entry;

• Direct Acting ICE Director Tae D. Johnson and Principal Legal Advisor John D. Trasviña to issue guidance to ICE officers, agents, and trial attorneys to refrain from pursuing removal proceedings or the detention or deportation of Haitian nationals while the country remains in crisis;

• Publish the Haiti TPS redesignation in the Federal Register so that eligible Haitians may apply for protection;

• Employ a presumption against firm resettlement for all newly eligible TPS applicants from Haiti, including those previously deemed firmly resettled by an Immigration Judge.  Where applicable, DHS should grant Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) or some other form of deferred action to any Haitian TPS applicant who may ultimately be denied TPS due solely to firm resettlement;

• Reinstate the Haitian Family Reunification Parole (HFRP) Program, which allowed certain eligible U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents to apply for parole for their family members in Haiti who have approved immigrant visa petitions but who cannot reunite with family members due to the years-long backlog in visa processing. 

• Establish a mechanism to support Haitians who were unjustly deported in the past few years to Haiti so that they may be reunited with family and receive the protection of which they were deprived.  

Sincerely:

Guerline Jozef, Co-founder and Executive Director of the Haitian Bridge Alliance, guerline.jozef@gmail.com  

Patrice Lawrence, Co-Director of UndocuBlack Network, Patrice@undocublack.org 

ABISA

Adhikaar

African Communities Together

African Diaspora for Good Governance

Al Otro Lado

Alabama Coalition for Immigrant justice

Aldea - The People's Justice Center

Alianza Americas

Alternative Chance

America's Voice

American Friends Service Committee

American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) 

Americans for Immigrant Justice

Amnesty International USA

AMURT-Haiti

ASISTA

Asylum Seeker Advocacy Project (ASAP)

Black Alliance for Just Immigration

Black LGBTQ+ Migrant Project (BLMP)

Border Network for Human Rights

Brooklyn Defender Services

Broward for Progress

CASA

Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc.

Center for Civic Policy

Center for Gender & Refugee Studies

Central American Resource Center of Northern CA - CARECEN SF

Church World Service

Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA)

CODEPINK

Colectivo Mujeres Trasnacionales

Community Asylum Seekers Project

Community Change Action

Comunidades Unidas

CRECEN

Detention Watch Network

Diaspora Community Services

Disciples Refugee & Immigration Ministries

Education Consultant

Fair Immigration Reform Movement Action (FIRMA)

Faith in New York

Faith in Public Life

Familia: Trans Queer Liberation Movement

Families for Freedom

First Focus on Children

Florida Council of Churches

Florida Immigrant Coalition 

Forum on Haitian Migration in the Americas

Friends of Matènwa

FWD.us

Gender Action

Global Justice Clinic, Washington Square Legal Services

Guatemaltecos Sin Fronteras 

Haiti Support Group

Haitian Bridge Alliance

Hispanic Federation

Hope Border Institute

Human Rights First

Human Rights Initiative of North Texas

Human Rights Watch

Immigrant Advocacy Network

Immigrant Defenders Law Center

Immigrant Defense Project

Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota

Immigrants Rising

Immigration Hub

Indivisible

Institute for Justice & Democracy in Haiti (IJDH)

International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP)

International Tribunal of Conscience of Peoples in Movement

Jobs With Justice

Just Futures Law

Just Haiti, Inc.

Justice Action Center

LA RED, Faith in Action

Latin America Working Group (LAWG)

Latinas en Poder

Lawyers Committee for Civil and Human Rights

Lawyers for Good Government (L4GG)

Lula LGBTQ  Inc.

Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service

Mainers for Accountable leadership 

Make the Road New Jersey

Make the Road PA 

Michigan People's Campaign

Michigan United

Mijente

MoveOn

National Association of Social Workers 

National Domestic Workers Alliance (NDWA)

National Immigrant Justice Center 

National Immigration Law Center

NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice

New American Leaders Action Fund 

New York County Defender Services

OneAmerica

Oxfam America

PICO California

Piña Soul, SPC

Poder Latinx

Positive Women’s Network-USA

Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)

Presente.org

Priority Africa Network

Progressive Leadership Alliance Of Nevada

Project Blueprint

Quixote Center

RAICES

Refugees International

RITA-Reform Immigration for Texas Alliance

Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights

Rocky Mountain Immigrant Advocacy Network

Service Employees International Union (SEIU)

SPLC Action Fund

Strangers No Longer

Stuart Center JPIC Office

Texas Civil Rights Project

The Advocates for Human Rights

The Bronx Defenders

The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights

U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants

UndocuBlack

Unidos Mn 

Unitarian Universalist Service Committee 

United Stateless 

United We Dream

University of Glasgow

Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA)

We Are Home 

Wind of the Spirit Immigrant Resource Center

Witness at the Border

Women’s Refugee Commission

Young Center for Immigrant Children's Rights

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The Assassination of President Jovenel Moise Could Hurl Haiti Futher Into An Abyss of Violence

Now is not the time to detain, deport, or expel Haitians seeking refuge in the U.S. 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Taisha Saintil, tsaintil@haitianbridge.org

Bethelhem T. Negash, bethelhem@undocublack.org

WASHINGTON, D.C., June 7, 2021 – Today, the UndocuBlack Network recognizes the potential escalation of the current  violence and political instability in Haiti after the assassination of Jovenel Moise. Due to the increased instability anticipated after the assaination—the network of current and formerly undocumented immigrants —urges the Biden Administration to halt the detention, deportation or expulsion of all Haitian nationals to imminently deadly conditions. The UndocuBlack Network calls on the Biden Administration to halt removal proceedings against Hatians and grant the entry of Haitians seeking protection at the U.S. border.  

“We come to President Biden, Secretary Mayorkas, Ambassador. Rice and Advisor Sullivan in great fear for the people of Haiti after the assination of President Jovenel Moise, '' said Haddy Gassama, UndocuBlack’s Director of Policy and Advocacy. “For months members of the Haitian community and advocates highlighted the rapidly worsening conditions of violence in the country. The administration itself has acknowledged the gravity of the social and security concerns in Haiti when the redesignation of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) was granted to Haiti in May.” 

“In light of these conditions, we support the letter that urges the Biden administration to halt expedited removal or reinstatement of removal immediately and stop all deportations to Haiti among other measures,” Gassama continued. “As recently as July 6, a deportation flight took off from Alexandria, VA to Port Au-Prince carrying Haitian nationals. Rather than taking the historically anti-Black hardline stance on immigration from Haiti and other regions coping with violence, policymakers must prioritize protecting rather than re-traumatizing asylum seekers from Haiti.”

“As policymakers, international aid organizations and the administration seek ways to support Haiti, we urge them to work closely and consider the voices of local Haitian human rights advocacy groups such as Hatian Bridge Alliance, who work closely and directly with the impacted Haitian communities in the U.S. Now is not the time to stay on the course of xenophobic immigration enforcment polices like Title 42, instead it is the time to listen with compassion and act to protect rather than harm.”

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U.S. SENATE COMMITTEE ON THE JUDICIARY HEARING H.R. 6, AMERICAN DREAM AND PROMISE ACT OF 2021 June 15, 2021

COMMUNITIES UNITED FOR STATUS AND PROTECTION

STATEMENT FOR THE RECORD

Communities United for Status and Protection (CUSP) is a collaborative of grassroots immigrant community organizations working together to end the uncertainty that TPS holders in our communities live with every day, and to build a more inclusive immigrant rights movement that centers the needs and experiences of African, Afro-Caribbean, Afro-Latinx, Arab/Middle Eastern, and Asian Pacific Islander (API) immigrants. The member organizations include Adhikaar, African Communities Together (ACT), Haitian Bridge Alliance (HBA), National Network for Arab American Community (NNAAC), and The UndocuBlack Network. 

CUSP is grateful to Chairman Dick Durbin (D-IL) and members of the Senate Judiciary Committee for convening this critical hearing on the American Dream and Promise Act.  Along with many other organizations and individuals, CUSP supports the establishment of a path to citizenship for the more than 400,000 Temporary Protected Status (TPS) holders who have become Americans by circumstance, if not by birth.  CUSP exhorts the Senate to recognize the contribution of TPS holders and provide them a path to citizenship in any immigration legislation, including through the reconciliation process if necessary.  

 Recently, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the American Dream and Promise Act (H.R. 6) with bipartisan support and we encourage the Senate to follow suit.  The legislation would provide Dreamers and TPS holders with permanent status and a path to citizenship.  Securing permanent residency for TPS holders is paramount to provide certainty and stability to individuals who have been denied such peace of mind for decades in many cases.  

“I am a Sudanese TPS Holder, and I have been here for 20 years.  That's more than half my age, and I’ve been working, and paying taxes, so I would love to see TPS become permanent, and for us to get a clean path to citizenship.  We don't know what the future holds, and nothing is guaranteed in this way. TPS the way it is now doesn’t offer security, no future, no longevity.  I have never lived in my home country, nor can I live anywhere else since this is the only place I’ve ever really known.  We need a real solution!”  Ahmed Osman, Sudanese TPS Holder from New York

TPS is a form of humanitarian relief that is granted by the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)  to nationals of a country undergoing ongoing armed conflict, environmental disasters, or other extraordinary and temporary conditions.  TPS applications must be received by DHS within a specified timeframe with supporting documentation, payment of fees, and applicants are required to undergo a criminal background check.  At least every 18 months, DHS reconsiders whether to extend a country’s TPS designation.  Upon a country’s designation extension, beneficiaries must reapply to DHS by paying additional fees, submitting required documentation, and undergoing another background check.  TPS holders are some of the most vetted immigrants in the U.S. today but face perpetual uncertainty, fearing a forced return to an unknown home country, ill-prepared for their arrival.

“I own a transportation company called Sherpa Transportation.  My wife works in a restaurant. COVID was hard on both of us, but thankfully, we have been able to continue both of our work and the business, and I am hopeful for the future.  I felt that I have achieved my American dream, but I don’t know how long I will be able to stay in this country after contributing my 23 years to the United States. 

My son just began Colorado State University for four years - I was so proud of him for starting college in America.  I feel that this is also a part of my family’s American dream.  Even though he is in college, he is still my son - and he needs our backing through guidance and economical support.  I cannot imagine being separated from my family and now I can’t afford it anymore. 

 We cannot live in this way anymore, and that is why TPS is not enough.  TPS has granted my family and others like me so many things and I am grateful.  But now we need permanent residency.”  Nabin Sherpa, Nepali TPS holder from Colorado

Currently, DHS has designated Burma, Haiti, Somalia, South Sudan, Syria, Venezuela, and Yemen  for TPS.  The prior administration terminated TPS protection for El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, Nepal, Nicaragua, and Sudan, however, those countries maintain their TPS protection through ongoing litigation.  he Biden administration recently redesignated Haiti for TPS, but it has not done the same for nationals of the remaining countries, even though country conditions have not materially improved.  As it stands, close to 300,000 TPS holders from the countries protected through litigation will lose their status in a few short months.

It is with this constant fear of status loss that TPS holders, many of whom have been here for decades,  have been forced to build their lives. Despite the uncertainty, they continue going to school, working, building businesses, and having families of their own.  Over 80% of TPS holders are employed, having paid about $4.6 billion in taxes.  Altogether, they’re expected to contribute over $164 billion to the GDP over the next decade.

“I am a proud single mother of a daughter who is working as a nurse.  Within a couple of years of getting my work permit through TPS, I was able to acquire two businesses (gas station and convenience stores), in Dallas, and in Texarkana.  TPS has given this mother and daughter the opportunities that we could never have imagined back in Nepal, especially as a single mother family.  Yet, the uncertainty that TPS entails has been very stressful for us.  We need permanent residency so that I can grow my businesses further, my daughter can be ensured of longer-term employment in health services, and we can both continue to give back to the community the way we always have been even while in temporary status.  As one of the over 2,500 TPS holders from Nepal, we are calling on Senator Cornyn and Cruz to go beyond partisan politics and support us, their constituents.  We are building the economy of Texas at this critical time.  Texas is our home and community.”  Namrata Pokhrel, Nepali TPS holder from Texas

More recently, during the COVID-19 global pandemic, almost one-third of all TPS holders were employed in essential occupations that could not be done remotely and were integral to providing services upon which Americans’ relied. In fact, Texas has the third largest population of TPS holders and the largest number of Nepali TPS holders.  In Texas, during the COVID-19 crisis, 20,700 TPS holders were employed as essential critical infrastructure workers as described by DHS.  In spite of their tenuous immigration status, TPS holders put their lives on the line in service to their adopted country while working in healthcare, food service, manufacturing, transportation, and more.  As a result of their essential employment, TPS holders were more likely to contract and die from COVID, yet their efforts helped keep the economy running.  At risk to their own health, and in spite of uncertainty, TPS holders worked to ensure access to essential services and kept the economy moving.

Congress must not allow the uprooting of hundreds of thousands of these immigrants who have kept America safe and healthy during one of the nation’s darkest moments, but should work to provide them with a path to permanent status so they can truly thrive.  The time is now.  Americans across the political spectrum support a path to citizenship for TPS holders.  This is why CUSP urgently calls on the Senate to pass H.R. 6, to  provide much-needed stability to the nation’s immigrant communities.

Many TPS holders have lived in the U.S. for decades.  They have continued to serve as frontline workers throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, and would be integral to any infrastructure efforts undertaken in the country moving forward, and they contribute significantly to the economy and social fabric of the country.  Without a path to citizenship for TPS holders, they are sentenced to a lifetime of uncertainty, having committed to a country that hasn’t yet committed to them.  

Congress has an obligation to end this uncertainty and make TPS holders’ permanent members of our communities.  This hearing is an important step towards accomplishing that goal.  CUSP applauds this movement and continues to urge the Senate to recognize the sacrifice and commitment of TPS holders by passing the American Dream and Promise Act urgently and creating a path to citizenship.

ADHIKAAR is a New York-based non-profit, organizing the Nepali-speaking community to promote human rights and social justice for all. We are a women-led workers’ center and community center focused on workers’ rights, immigration rights, access to affordable healthcare and language justice. We organize the Nepali-speaking community to create broader social change; build coalitions on advocacy campaigns that address our community's needs; center women and the most impacted communities in our leadership; engage members in participatory action research; and implement community education, workplace development training, and support services.

AFRICAN COMMUNITIES TOGETHER (ACT) is an organization of African immigrants fighting for civil rights, opportunity, and a better life for our families here in the U.S. and worldwide. ACT empowers African immigrants to integrate socially, get ahead economically, and engage civically. We connect African immigrants to critical services, help Africans develop as leaders, and organize our communities on the issues that matter.

HAITIAN BRIDGE ALLIANCE, INC. (HBA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit community organization based in Southern California that advocates for fair and humane immigration policies and connects migrants with humanitarian, legal, and social services, with a particular focus on Black migrants, the Haitian community, women, LGBTQAI+ individuals and survivors of torture and other human rights abuses. Since 2015, HBA has provided services to asylum seekers and other migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border, in U.S. detention, and during U.S. immigration proceedings.

NATIONAL NETWORK FOR ARAB AMERICAN COMMUNITY (NNAAC)is a national consortium of independent Arab American community-based organizations. The Network’s primary mission is to build the capacity of Arab American non-profit organizations that focus on the needs and issues impacting their local community while collectively addressing those issues nationally.

THE UNDOCUBLACK NETWORK (UBN), founded in 2016, is a multigenerational network of currently and formerly undocumented Black people that fosters community, facilitates access to resources and contributes to transforming the realities of our people so we are thriving and living our fullest lives. UBN has chapters in New York City, the DC/MD/VA area, and Los Angeles, CA.