LCLAA Calls for TPS Designations

Washington, DC -  The Labor Council for Latin American Advancement is calling on President Biden to redesignate El Salvador, Honduras, and Nicaragua for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and to designate Guatemala for the first time. TPS, established by Congress in 1990, offers temporary and renewable relief from removal and grants access to work permits for individuals from designated countries experiencing environmental disasters, human rights violations, or political crises. 

Over two decades ago, El Salvador, Honduras, and Nicaragua were designated for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) after experiencing severe flooding and environmental disasters. In recent years, Hurricanes Eta and Iota have decimated the region, destroying healthcare and public infrastructure, and leaving thousands without a home. 

The previous administration made the decision to terminate the original TPS protections, which is now being challenged in Ramos v. Nielsen and Bhattarai v. Nielsen, leaving thousands of beneficiaries in uncertainty. 

Yanira Merino, National President of the Labor Council for Latin American Advancement, “The decision of the Trump Administration to terminate TPS for El Salvador, Honduras, and Nicaragua failed to recognize the ongoing crises facing Latin America. It ignored the state of recovery and overlooked the fact that immigrants’ rights are also workers’ rights. If the current administration seeks to promote workers’ rights and uphold human rights, it must protect workers who cannot return to their home countries.”