The Federal Register Notice for the 18-month extension and redesignation of TPS for Burma was published September 27, 2022. This resource contains key information about registration, work authorization, and more.

This resource contains information for Burmese TPS holders about what to do if encountering problems at work, departments of motor vehicles, and elsewhere.

The Federal Register Notice for the 18-month extension and redesignation of TPS for Burma was published September 27, 2022. This resource contains key information about registration, work authorization, and more.

This resource contains information on the extension of TPS for Venezuela, published in the Federal Register on Sept. 8, 2022.

The Supreme Court’s decision in Sanchez v. Maryokas and recent changes to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, or USCIS, policy have made it increasingly difficult for many TPS beneficiaries who initially entered the United States without inspection to adjust status through family-based petitions. This practice advisory reviews these developments as well as options for adjustment that may be available to help certain TPS beneficiaries adjust status, even if they initially entered the United States without inspection.

This resource contains information on the implementation of Special Student Relief for Cameroon, published in the Federal Register on June 7, 2022.

This resource contains information on the implementation of TPS for Cameroon, published in the Federal Register on June 7, 2022.

This resource contains information on the implementation of Special Student Relief for Afghanistan, published in the Federal Register on May 20, 2022.

This resource contains information on the implementation of TPS for Afghanistan, published in the Federal Register on May 20, 2022.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced several Temporary Protected Status, or TPS, updates in recent weeks, including new designations for Sudan, Ukraine and Cameroon, and an extension and redesignation for South Sudan. A settlement in the CARECEN v. Jaddou litigation has made it possible for certain TPS recipients with prior removal orders to apply for adjustment of status before USCIS. This article summarizes these and other notable developments.

This resource contains information on the implementation of TPS for Ukraine, published in the Federal Register on April 19, 2022.

This resource contains information on the implementation of TPS for Sudan, published in the Federal Register on April 19, 2022.

The Federal Register Notice for 18-month extension and redesignation of South Sudan was published on March 3, 2022. This resource contains key information about registration, work authorization, and more.

Liberian Refugee Immigration Fairness (LRIF) is a provision of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020, enacted by Congress on Dec. 20, 2019. The law allows certain Liberians — and eligible family members — to apply to adjust to lawful permanent resident (LPR) status before Dec. 20, 2021.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security, or DHS, has announced the termination of Temporary Protected Status, or TPS, designations for nationals of Sudan, Nicaragua, Haiti, El Salvador, Nepal and Honduras, and the termination of Deferred Enforced Departure, or DED, for Liberia. In the wake of these termination decisions, several different cases have been filed in U.S district courts.

CLINIC, along with Democracy Forward Foundation, Montagut & Sobral PC, and Debevoise & Plimpton LLP, represents seven Temporary Protected Status beneficiaries and CARECEN in a lawsuit against the Trump administration challenging an unlawful policy change that harms many TPS beneficiaries.

Automatic extension:

• TPS and related documentation (Forms I-797 Notice of Approval, Employment Authorization Documents (EADs), and Forms I-94 Arrival/Departure Record) are automatically extended for TPS holders from El Salvador, Haiti, Nicaragua, Sudan, Honduras and Nepal through Dec.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has announced several Temporary Protected Status, or TPS, updates in recent weeks. This article summarizes notable developments.

The Federal Register Notice for the new 18-month designation for Haiti was published on August 3, 2021. This resource contains key information about registration, work authorization, and more.

The Federal Register Notice for the 18-month extension and redesignation of TPS for Somalia was published July 22, 2021. This resource contains key information about registration, work authorization, and more.

The Federal Register Notice for the 18-month extension and redesignation of TPS for Yemen was published July 9, 2021. This resource contains key information about registration, work authorization, and more.

This resource contains information for Somali TPS holders about what to do if encountering problems at work, departments of motor vehicles, and elsewhere.

This resource contains information for Yemeni TPS holders about what to do if encountering problems at work, departments of motor vehicles, and elsewhere

The Supreme Court has ruled that a grant of Temporary Protected Status, or TPS, is not an admission for purposes of INA § 245(a) adjustment. As a result of this decision, TPS recipients who entered without inspection, reside in the Sixth, Eighth, and Ninth Circuits and seek permanent residency as “immediate relatives” will no longer be able to adjust status.

CLINIC and 101 NGOs submitted an urgent set of recommendations to the Biden administration on June 10, 2021, regarding the implementation of the Sanchez. v. Mayorkas decision.

Use this sample checklist to confirm eligibility and to prepare an initial application for submission.

On June 11, 2021, the TPS-DED Administrative Advocacy Coalition sent a letter to Secretary Mayorkas and Secretary Blinken asking for an 18-month extension and redesignation of TPS for Yemen

On June 7, 2021, 119 national, state, and local organizations, led by the Temporary Protected Status - Deferred Enforced Departure Administrative Advocacy Coalition and Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc., or CLINIC, sent a letter to U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas requesting a redesignation and extension of Temporary Protected Status for Somalia.

The letter calls for immediate publication of a Federal Register Notice and a robust, culturally competent outreach plan by USCIS.

On May 17, 2021, the TPS-DED AAC submitted a comment in response to USCIS' request for information on identifying barriers to benefits and legalization, with the comment particularly focusing on access to TPS; TPS guidance; and TPS-related SOPs and practices.

The Federal Register Notice for the new 18-month designation of TPS for Burma was published May 25, 2021. This resource contains key information about registration, work authorization, and more.

The Temporary Protected Status Advocacy Working group delivered a letter to the Biden administration on April 13, 2021, containing recommendations endorsed by nearly 140 organizations regarding ongoing TPS and DED implementation issues.

The Temporary Protected Status Advocacy Working Group led by Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc. or CLINIC, in partnership with Alianza Americas; the National Day Laborer Organizing Network (as a core member of the National TPS Alliance) and National Immigration Project of the National Lawyers Guild released a report, “Pulling Back the Curtain: Analysis of New Government Data on Temporary Protected Status,” with brand new, state-by-state data on people living in the United States with TPS.

Use this sample checklist to confirm TPS eligibility and to prepare an initial application for submission.

These FAQs review the eligibility requirements and benefits of Temporary Protected Status versus Deferred Enforced Departure, the TPS application process, the DED work authorization application process, and other practical considerations for Venezuelan clients.

In March of 2021, the TPS Advocacy Working Group, in collaboration with Alianza Americas, National Day Laborer Organizing Network, or NDLON, and National Immigration Project of the National Lawyers Guild or NIPNLG, released a new report, “Pulling Back the Curtain: Analysis of New Government Data on Temporary Protected Status.” This landing page contains the underlying records, data and spreadsheet that were received by the TPS AWG and analyzed in the report for researchers to download, view and analyze.

Despite the welcome news of these additional TPS designations, many Venezuelan nationals, Burmese nationals, and stateless people who last resided in Venezuela or Burma are currently in removal proceedings or face removal proceedings. This practice pointer addresses common questions that arise for practitioners representing TPS-eligible individuals who are in removal proceedings or facing potential removal proceedings, hold dual nationality, or wish to seek asylum. This practice pointer ends with a discussion of Employment Authorization Document options for Venezuelans.

The Federal Register Notice for the 18-month extension and redesignation of TPS for Syria was published March 19, 2021. This resource contains key information about registration, work authorization, and more.

This resource contains information for Syrian TPS holders about what to do if encountering problems at work, departments of motor vehicles and elsewhere due to USCIS’ late publication of the Federal Register Notice and other issues.

This resource contains information on the implementation of TPS and DED for Venezuela, published in the Federal Register on March 9, 2021.

On March 5, 2021, 314 national, state and local organizations sent a letter to President Biden and DHS Secretary Mayorkas requesting that the administration designate 18 countries for Temporary Protected Status, including: Bahamas, Cameroon, El Salvador, Guatemala, Guinea, Haiti, Honduras, Hong Kong, Lebanon, Mauritania, Nepal, Nicaragua, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Venezuela and Yemen.

The Federal Register Notice for the reinstatement of DED for Liberia through June 30, 2022, was published Feb. 16, 2021. This resource breaks down the Notice which includes information about the reinstatement and work authorization.

The TPS Advocacy Working Group submitted recommendations to the Biden transition team on Nov. 25, 2020. The recommendations timeline and propose efficient mechanisms such as Deferred Enforced Departure to provide immediate protection to vulnerable populations affected by the Trump administration's anti-TPS policies. 

Given ongoing armed conflict and humanitarian crisis, safe return to Cameroon is impossible for Cameroonians in the United States at this time. Learn more about Cameroon and why an immediate designation of Temporary Protected Status is needed in this backgrounder.

The Supreme Court granted a writ of certiorari on Jan. 8, 2021, to review whether a grant of TPS is an admission for purposes of adjustment of status. A decision on the issue is expected by the end of June 2021.

113 organizations submitted a letter to the incoming Biden administration calling for 18-month extension and redesignation of TPS for Syria. The decision is due Jan. 30, 2021.

The Biden campaign listed a number of immigration-related priorities that his presidency would tackle if elected. Most of these could be accomplished through executive orders, regulations, or changes to policies and procedures rather than requiring legislation.

On Nov. 9, 2020 the Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc., or CLINIC, Alianza Americas, the National TPS Alliance, the National Immigration Project of the National Lawyers Guild and the TPS Advocacy Working Group published a policy brief analyzing the response that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security provided to a previously filed Freedom of Information Act, or FOIA, request regarding the unlawful terminations of Temporary Protected Status and Deferred Enforced Departure.

Key information from the Federal Register Notice for the 18-month extension of TPS for South Sudan published Nov. 2, 2020.

This resource contains guidance for South Sudanese TPS holders dealing with problems at work, the Department of Motor Vehicles, and elsewhere, related to their TPS.

On Oct. 5, 2020, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services sent a response to CLINIC regarding the organizational sign-on letter it led requesting TPS and DED for Lebanon.

The FAQs below review three of the pending lawsuits challenging TPS Terminations with a focus on how the Sept. 14, 2020, decision by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in Ramos v. Nielsen could affect TPS clients.

In September 2020, nearly 150 NGOs sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security requesting Temporary Protected Status for Lebanon.

CLINIC submitted a formal request to DHS on Aug. 19, 2020, laying out the legal and moral case for 18-month extension and redesignation of TPS for South Sudan.

On Aug. 18, 2020, the TPS Advocacy Working Group released a policy brief calculating the number of South Sudanese nationals who could potentially benefit under extension and redesignation of TPS for South Sudan for the forthcoming Sept. 3 decision date.

On Aug. 17, 2020, CLINIC delivered a letter signed by more than 200 faith leaders and faith-based organizations from across traditions urging the administration to grant an 18-month extension and redesignation of TPS for South Sudan, warranted under the law due to ongoing armed conflict and humanitarian emergency in the country.

The current 18-month grant of Temporary Protected Status for South Sudan will expire on Nov. 2, 2020, unless extended by the secretary of Homeland Security. By statute, the DHS secretary must decide whether to extend and/or redesignate or terminate TPS for South Sudan by Sept. 3, 2020.

In July 2020, the CLINIC-led Temporary Protected Status Advocacy Working Group released a report estimates that the next administration could protect upwards of 3.5 million people through these executive actions.

The White House announced on March 30, 2020, that the termination date for Deferred Enforced Departure, or DED, for Liberia is postponed. The new termination date is Jan. 10, 2021. USCIS published guidance on Liberian Refugee Immigration Fairness, or LRIF, processing in its Policy Manual and opened a period for public comment on the new chapter through May 7, 2020.

In April 2020, 69 organizations, led by CLINIC, sent a letter to DHS and USCIS urging the extension of the re-registration period and work permits for TPS holders from Yemen and Somalia in light of COVID-19

This report documents the clear and urgent need for Venezuela to be designated for Temporary Protected Status, or TPS. The report contains an overview of the law, current country conditions, and why TPS is both a necessary humanitarian response to the crisis in Venezuela and in the U.S. national interest.

The termination date of DED for Liberia has been postponed until Jan. 10, 2021. A Federal Register Notice granting an automatic extension of work authorization was published on April 7, 2020.

Click for key information from the Federal Register Notice for the 18-month extension of TPS for Somalia published March 11, 2020.

Click for key information from the Federal Register Notice for the 18-month extension of TPS for Yemen published March 2, 2020.

Fact sheet on why USCIS' proposed expedite process for Liberian Refugee Immigration Fairness, or LRIF, is insufficient and lead to gaps in employment authorization for LRIF applicants.

CLINIC and partners submitted a letter to DHS and USCIS on Jan. 28, 2020, regarding recommendations on the implementation of Liberian Refugee Immigration Fairness, or LRIF. The recommendations seek to address potential losses of work authorization and protection from deportation that most principal LRIF applicants imminently face.

This collection Somali TPS holder stories highlights the need for 18-month extension and redesignation of TPS for Somalia. DHS must decide by Jan. 17, 2020.

Use this checklist to collect the documents you will need to apply for lawful permanent residency.

The current 18-month grant of Temporary Protected Status, or TPS, for approximately 1,250 Yemeni TPS holders will expire on March 3, 2020, unless extended by the secretary of Homeland Security. By statute, the DHS secretary must decide whether to extend and/or redesignate or terminate TPS for Yemen by Jan. 3, 2020.

On  Dec. 13, 2019, CLINIC delivered a letter signed by more than 120  faith leaders and faith-based organizations from across traditions urging the administration to grant an 18-month extension and to redesignate TPS for Yemen, warranted under the law due to ongoing armed conflict and humanitarian emergency in the country.

On  Dec. 13, 2019, CLINIC delivered a letter signed by 140  faith leaders and faith-based organizations from across traditions urging the administration to grant an 18-month extension and to redesignate TPS for Somalia, warranted under the law due to ongoing armed conflict and humanitarian emergency in the country.

This template letter to an employer explains the Nov. 4, 2019, Federal Register Notice, or FRN, automatically extending TPS and work authorization for TPS holders from El Salvador, Honduras, Nepal, Nicaragua, Sudan and Haiti.

USCIS Acting Director Cuccinelli letter to Congress regarding TPS and DED information request on Oct. 7, 2019.

On Oct. 3, 2018, a preliminary injunction was issued in the Ramos v. Nielsen case, temporarily halting the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s, or DHS, termination of Temporary Protected Status, or TPS, for Sudan, Nicaragua, Haiti and El Salvador. On March 12, 2019, the district court in Bhattarai v. Nielsen issued an order halting the termination of TPS for Honduras and Nepal. On April 11, 2019, a court issued another injunction preventing the termination of TPS for Haiti in Saget v. Trump.

The current 18-month grant of Temporary Protected Status, or TPS, for Somalia will expire on March 17, 2020, unless extended by the secretary of Homeland Security. By statute, the DHS Secretary must decide whether to extend and/or redesignate or terminate TPS for Somalia by Jan. 17, 2020.

The Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc., Catholic Charities USA, Catholic Relief Services, and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Migration joined in requesting DHS extend life-saving protections for Bahamians who seek safety in the United States in the aftermath of Hurricane Dorian. Specifically, the organizations request DHS designate Temporary Protected Status for the Bahamas and consider using other humanitarian protections, including prosecutorial discretion and humanitarian parole, for hurricane evacuees.   

The Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) recently held that immigration judges (IJs) have the authority to deny an application for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) in the exercise of discretion. Matter of D-A-C-, 27 I&N Dec. 575 (BIA 2019).

Over 100 organizations called upon the DHS secretary to designate the Bahamas for TPS in light of the destruction and devastation caused by Hurricane Dorian in September of 2019.

Backgrounder on Temporary Protected Status for the Bahamas^[1]

I. What is Temporary Protected Status?

Key information:

Syria received an 18-month extension of its Temporary Protected Status, or TPS, designation from Oct. 1, 2019 to March 31, 2021. To maintain TPS through the 18-month period, Syrian TPS holders will need to re-register during the 60-day re-registration period, which runs from Sept. 23 to Nov. 22, 2019.

For Immediate Release: July 19, 2019
Contact: Jose Magaña-Salgado at jose@masadc.com
Joint Press Release by: Alianza Americas, CARECEN DC, CARECEN San Francisco, Centro Presente, CLINIC, Florida Immigrant Coalition and Win Without War

This collection of stories illustrates why TPS for Venezuela must be designated now. Use for outreach to lawmakers and raising awareness in your networks and community. 

On  July 11, 2019, CLINIC delivered a letter signed by 200 faith leaders and faith-based organizations from across traditions urging the administration to grant an 18-month extension and to redesignate TPS for Syria, warranted under the law due to ongoing armed conflict and humanitarian emergency in the country.

This report describes the acute need for the administration to extend for 18 months and redesignate Temporary Protected Status, or TPS, for Syria. Ongoing armed conflict as well as extraordinary and temporary conditions continue to make the safe return of Syrian nationals impossible. While the war in Syria transformed in 2018 and 2019, with the Assad regime regaining ground from the Islamic State and rebels in much of the country, profound civilian suffering, destruction and loss of life persists.

CLINIC’s policy brief examines extreme processing delays at USCIS under the Trump administration and the particular consequences to TPS holders and their families. The brief questions USCIS’ methods in dealing with the processing delays for TPS holders, pointing out that USCIS elected an unusual, inefficient, and error-prone process. The brief includes recommendations for oversight and holding the administration accountable.

In April 2019, CLINIC sent a letter to USCIS with recommendations regarding ongoing TPS implementation issues and Ramos v. Nielsen. On May 24, 2019, CLINIC received this response.

CLINIC submitted a letter to USCIS Director Cissna on May 16, 2019 with recommendations to address and correct its erroneous rejection of Forms I-765 filed by Liberian DED holders. In summary, CLINIC recommends that USCIS should: automatically extend all Liberian DED holders EADs for the 12-month DED period; conduct outreach to ensure the Liberian community has accurate information; and investigate the root causes of the error, make its findings available to the public, and take corrective action to avoid replication.

On Jan. 23, 2018, Church World Service and CLINIC delivered a letter to the administration signed by nearly 300 faith leaders and organizations from across traditions in support of Syrian TPS holders. The letter calls on Secretary Nielsen to extend TPS for Syria for 18 months and to redesignate in order to protect more Syrians in need.

CLINIC sent a letter to USCIS Director Cissna on April 26, 2019, regarding recommendations to mitigate harm TPS holders are experiencing due to systemic issues at USCIS as well as steps USCIS should take to ensure that TPS holders under the Ramos v. Nielsen preliminary injunction are able to maintain their TPS benefits.

CLINIC’s policy brief documents the Trump administration’s failure to redesignate Teporary Protected Status for any country, most notably for three war-torn countries—Yemen, Syria and South Sudan—which had received redes­ignations and 18-month extensions in every previous TPS decision. The failure to redesignate raises serious legal questions as to whether the administration employed the proper legal analysis and procedure in these and any of its TPS decisions.

In March 2019, more than 215 national, state, and local organizations sent a letter to DHS requesting an immediate designation of TPS for Venezuela. In April 2019, DHS sent this response.

On April 2, 2019, CLINIC sent a letter to DHS Secretary Nielsen and USCIS Director Cissna registering concerns with ongoing Federal Register Notice delays for Temporary Protected Status, or TPS, and the resulting consequence to TPS holders and their families. The letter also included recommendations for the forthcoming Federal Register Notice for the 12-month postponement of the termination of Deferred Enforced Departure for Liberia.

Every time the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announces the extension of the TPS designation for a particular country, TPS recipients from that country must apply to re-register. Check out CLINIC's answers to frequently asked questions on late re-registration for TPS.

This resource provides a brief overview of the numerous court cases challenging the Trump administration’s decisions to terminate TPS and DED for seven countries and their possible outcomes. It also explains that, while some of these cases may provide temporary injunctive relief, there is an urgent need for permanent solutions for TPS and DED holders that only Congress can provide.

Signed Court order outlining the steps that DHS will take to temporarily continue TPS for Nepal and Honduras

More than 215 national, state, and local organizations in the areas of immigration, civil rights, human rights, labor, faith, and education called on the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen to immediately designate Venezuela for Temporary Protected Status (TPS). TPS is a humanitarian protection provides employment authorization and protection to deportation to immigrants who cannot be safely returned to their country.

On Feb. 12, 2019, CLINIC and Church World Service delivered a letter signed by more than 300 faith leaders and faith-based organizations from across traditions urging the administration to grant an 18-month extension and to redesignate TPS for South Sudan, demanded by ongoing armed conflict and humanitarian crises in the country.

Temporary Protected Status, or TPS, is a humanitarian form of immigration status for foreign nationals, including undocumented immigrants, who cannot safely return to their home country due to extraordinary circumstances. Examples of such circumstances include armed conflict or environmental disaster.

Letter from 70 law professors and scholars to USCIS and DHS regarding USCIS' new policy of issuing physical mailed extensions for employment authorization instead of Federal Register Notices.

Letter from 115+ national, state, and local organizations demanding that Congress support a DHS IG investigation on decisions related to TPS, including the investigation of various administrative irregularities.

This resources provides information for current Sudanese or Nicaraguan TPS holders on showing employers proof of an automatic extension of your TPS and work authorization until April 2, 2019.

On Oct. 26, 2018, CLINIC sent a letter to USCIS Director Cissna expressing concern and requesting more information and engagement on TPS processing delays which left tens of thousands of TPS holders without valid work authorization documents just days before their work authorization was to expire.

A federal district court in California granted a preliminary injunction in Ramos v. Nielsen temporarily halting the termination of Temporary Protected Status for Sudan, Nicaragua, Haiti, and El Salvador. Here is what this means for these recipients.

This memo summarizes irregularities and errors in Temporary Protected Status, or TPS, implementation post-decision observed by the Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc., or CLINIC, during the Trump administration.

This resource contains a collection of TPS holder stories and illustrates the human impact of terminating TPS. Stories provided by UndocuBlack, Alianza Americas, and CLINIC, as members of the TPS Working Group.

CLINIC has confirmed that there are some El Salvador TPS applications (Forms I-821 and I-765) that were filed during the most recent re-registration period (Jan. 18, 2018 – March 19, 2018) that have not yet been processed by USCIS. The processing delays are potentially problematic for TPS holders who are relying on the 180-day automatic extension of work authorization granted in the Federal Register Notice that will expire Wednesday, September 5, 2018.

The current 18-month grant of  Temporary Protected Status, or TPS, for Somalia will expire on September 17, 2018 unless extended by the secretary of Homeland Security.^[1] By statute, the DHS Secretary must decide whether to extend and/or redesignate or terminate TPS for Somalia by July 19, 2018.^[2]

Over 300 national, state, and local immigrant, religious, labor, and civil rights organizations sent a letter to Kristjen Nielsen, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, asking her to grant Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Guatemala in light of recent environmental disasters. TPS provides the ability to work and protection from deportation for foreign nationals who cannot be safely returned to their home countries due to extraordinary and temporary conditions, such as an environmental disaster.

The current 18-month grant of Temporary Protected Status for approximately 1,000 Yemeni TPS holders will expire on Sept.

The current 18-month grant of Temporary Protected Status for nearly 200,000 Salvadorans will expire on March 9, 2018 unless extended by the Department of Homeland Security Secretary.^[1] By statute, the DHS Secretary must decide whether conditions warrant extension of the deadline by Jan.

This tool will help immigrant legal service providers and community-based organizations plan to effectively and efficiently respond to the decisions on TPS for certain nationalities.

CLINIC and Church World Service delivered a letter signed by 640 faith leaders and organizations from across traditions calling on the administration to extend and redesignate TPS for Honduras for at least another 18 months.

This resource contains a collection of Nepali TPS holder stories and illustrates the human impact of terminating TPS. If you are a reporter looking for stories about TPS holders, please contact Pat Zapor at pzapor@cliniclegal.org.

This report documents the clear and acute need for an extension of Temporary Protected Status, or TPS, for Nepal for at least another 18 months. The law requires the secretary of the Department of Homeland Security to extend TPS when after review, the secretary determines that the conditions for the designation continue to be met. Nepal still meets the requirements as it continues to rebuild from the cataclysmic earthquake and aftershocks of April and May of 2015.

CLINIC and Church World Service delivered a letter signed by 275 faith leaders and organizations from across traditions calling on the administration to extend Temporary Protected Status for Nepal for at least another 18 months.

The Federal Register Notice in connection with the administration’s decision to terminate Deferred Enforced Departure, or DED, for Liberia with a twelve-month wind-down period was published on Friday, March 30, 2018.

This backgrounder was prepared with assistance from Hira Ahmed and Selene Nafisi, J.D. candidates at the New York University School of Law’s Global Justice Clinic

This report documents the critical need for the United States to continue to extend Temporary Protected Status, or TPS, for Haiti until the country sufficiently recovers from a series of deadly natural disasters and is able to safely reabsorb TPS holders. Without TPS, the progress Haiti has made in recovery will be, at the least, seriously compromised.

Over 600 faith leaders and organizations from across traditions delivered a letter to the White House on March 22, 2018 urging the president to extend Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) for Liberia for at least another 18 months.

In recent months, the Department of Homeland Security, or DHS, has announced the termination of Temporary Protected Status designations for several countries. Each time TPS is terminated or extended for a designated country, TPS holders from that country are required to re-register if they wish to maintain TPS status. Typically, in addition to re-registering, TPS holders must reapply for Employment Authorization Documents, or EADs, to continue working legally in the United States until their TPS expires.

The current 6-month grant of Temporary Protected Status, or TPS, for nearly 60,000 Hondurans will expire on July 5, 2018 unless extended by the secretary of Homeland Security.[1] By statute, the DHS Secretary must decide whether to extend, terminate or redesignate TPS for Honduras by May 4, 2018.[2]

This report describes the acute need for the administration to extend Temporary Protected Status, or TPS, for Syria. Ongoing armed conflict as well as extraordinary and temporary conditions continue to make the safe return of Syrian nationals impossible. Syria is now in the seventh year of a catastrophic civil war that has shocked the world’s conscience and created the largest refugee crisis since World War II. Civilians in Syria suffer loss of infrastructure and widespread displacement. They are subjected to siege warfare and lack of access to food, water and medical aid.

CLINIC’s Executive Director Jeanne Atkinson joined the USCCB Committee on Migration, 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. 

On Dec. 4, CLINIC joined more than 130 other faith, non-profit, academic, and other organizations from across the country in a letter urging DHS and USCIS to immediately publish the official TPS notices for Honduras, Nicaragua, and Haiti. DHS announced the TPS determinations for these countries in November, but TPS holders and employers require official publication of the decisions in order to comply. At the time of this letter, the Federal Register Notices were delayed by over 4 weeks for the Honduran and Nicaraguan decisions and two weeks delayed for Haiti’s decision.

CLINIC’s Executive Director Jeanne Atkinson joined the leaders of other major Catholic agencies that work to support immigrants and refugees have urged the head of the Department of Homeland Security to extend Temporary Protected Status for Honduras and El Salvador.

Download the PDF

This quick guide will assist TPS holders in understanding DHS decisions on TPS, including terminations and indecisions. The guide also offers seven steps TPS holders can take to prepare and provides helpful links to resources.

Decisions in the Sixth and Ninth Circuit Courts of Appeal have opened the door for many individuals who entered the United States without inspection, but subsequently received Temporary Protected Status (TPS), to adjust to lawful permanent resident status. In the Sixth Circuit case, Flores v. USCIS, the court ruled that a grant of TPS satisfies the admission-related requirement of Section 245(a) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). 718 F.3d 548 (6th Cir. 2013).

On Oct. 27, CLINIC joined 120 other faith, non-profit, academic and other organizations from across the country in a letter urging DHS to reconsider the recent termination of Temporary Protected Status for Sudan.

Guidelines for Press Releases for Administration's Failure to Make a TPS Decision on Time

Guidelines for Press Releases for TPS Termination

The administration is expected to rollout a series of announcements terminating Temporary Protected Status, or TPS, for up to 10 countries, affecting more than 300,000 individuals. The earliest announcement is expected on Nov. 6 for Hondurans (estimated at 57,000) and Nicaraguans (2,500), followed by a Nov. 23 decision date for Haitians (50,000). For Salvadorans (195,000), an announcement is expected by Jan. 8, 2018, at the latest. More announcements for additional nationalities with smaller populations of TPS holders, but equally of concern to CLINIC, are expected from January to July.

The Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc. and Church World Service delivered a letter Sept. 18 signed by nearly 700 American faith leaders and organizations calling on the administration to continue to use Temporary Protected Status as Congress intended. The law calls for TPS to protect foreign nationals in the United States whose lives would be at risk if they are forced to return to their countries too soon after catastrophes.

As a result of decisions from the 6th and 9th circuit courts, USCIS has issued new policy establishing that a Temporary Protected Status (TPS) recipient who resides in one of those jurisdictions is considered “inspected and admitted” for adjustment of status eligibility under INA Section 245(a).  

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals recently held that a grant of Temporary Protected Status itself constitutes an “admission” for purposes of INA § 245(a) adjustment of status eligibility. Ramirez v. Brown, No. 14-35633, __ F.3d __ (9th Cir. 2017).

The current six-month grant of Temporary Protected Status, or TPS, for approximately 50,000 Haitians will expire on Jan. 22, 2018 unless extended by the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security.

Calling USCIS’s National Customer Service Center (NCSC) can be time consuming. Here are some tips on making your communications with the NCSC more productive.

In coalition with Nepali organizations based in the United States, including Adhikaar in New York, the National Council of Asian Pacific Americans (NCAPA) are a part of a nation-wide movement to support humanitarian efforts for Nepal. The massive 7.8 magnitude earthquake that shook Nepal has resulted in mass death and destruction. This devastation and tragedy has touched all of our hearts as the difficult relief efforts have begun.