Temporary? Protected Status



DHS[1]DHS announced on October 16 that Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Hondurans and Nicaraguans was extended until July 5, 2016. TPS is protection against deportation for illegal aliens and for persons who entered legally but failed to depart when their entry permit expired. In the case of the Nicaraguans and Hondurans who benefit from this most recent extension, their TPS status was first granted as of December 1998 and was due to expire in January 2015 after numerous prior extensions.

The ostensible reason for the TPS designation back in 1998 was Hurricane Mitch, a powerful storm that devastated parts of the Central American countries. While rebuilding following the hurricane was slow, the idea that 16 years later, conditions in those countries continue to prevent the return of citizens, voluntarily or by deportation, strains credibility. Yet, the Federal Register notice accompanying the notice of the extended TPS status states that, “There continues to be a substantial, but temporary, disruption of living conditions in [those two countries]resulting from Hurricane Mitch, and [they remain]unable, temporarily, to handle adequately the return of [their]nationals.”

What explains this incredible pretext for not deporting Nicaraguan and Honduran illegal aliens is that the governments of those two countries have pressured the U.S. government to extend the TPS time and again. These governments desperately want their nationals to continue to legally work here and send money (remittances) back to family members in their homelands. This plea by the foreign governments is seconded by illegal alien support groups and amnesty advocates in the United States. So the current action of the administration is a political move responding to pressure from both domestic and international interests.

With the Obama administration committed to a general amnesty, it is illogical to expect any other action from it other than a continuous renewal of TPS status for the nationals of the eight countries that currently benefit from that designation. (Haiti, Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan, Syria, El Salvador plus the other two Central American countries.)

Additional details on the TPS issue may be found on the FAIR website.

About Author

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Jack, who joined FAIR’s National Board of Advisors in 2017, is a retired U.S. diplomat with consular experience. He has testified before the U.S. Congress, U.S. Civil Rights Commission, and U.S. Commission on Immigration Reform and has authored studies of immigration issues. His national and international print, TV, and talk radio experience is extensive (including in Spanish).

5 Comments

  1. avatar
    Jennifer Hottal on

    None of us know what it is like coming from their country. Some people come here get a job, pay taxes just like the rest of illegal or not. If you were in need you would want help as well. It should not make a difference where you come from. U.S citizens do more welfare fraud then anybody illegal. Moat illegals do not try to get or do anything as they are scared to get deported. Trust me when I tell you that I am sure you work and are friends with people that are illegal and you would never know. Just a thought.

    • avatar

      Being generous with “other peoples money” is easy as it costs you nothing. Using you own money is a whole different matter.

      “Scared to get deported”? What rot. Illegals have absolutely no fear of the Obola administration.

  2. avatar
    Barbara Griffith on

    It will never be temporary status for these people because the instant they get their foot in the US they start having little jackpots that they know will be considered instant US citizens. From then on they will be collecting welfare on the kids to the tune of a check monthly for each one which could be anywhere from 3 kids on up. All medical paid of course plus help with housing etc. This is one of the reasons they are never sent back to their own country. I have never heard of any group like this ever being sent home.

  3. avatar

    Pres Obola cannot give amnesty without Congressional approval of which he has none. He can issue work permits, however, which doesn’t make a lot of sense in promoting good jobs at good wages while flooding the labor market.

    Illegals with work permits will not be allowed to vote, collect welfare, aid to dependent children, housing assistance or HUD (except in the already broke santuary states of California, Washington, Illinois and New York). They do get food stamps thanks to GW Bush.

    A country without borders is not a Country, it is a territory like Afganistan with seperate tribes of white, black, hispanic, women, illegals and gays all seeking their own special interests at the expense of everybody else.

  4. avatar

    Our Judicial Backbone is Broke

    We pick and choose which laws to ignore and written immigration enforcement Policy is considerred a deviation from the foreign/corporate lobbyists’ wishes….so the government continues to purposely break its judicial backbone instead.