US Migrants with Plans
Nov. 15, 2024, 2:17 a.m.
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Trump Targets 1 Million US Migrants with Plans to Roll Back Temporary Protection: A Looming Crisis for TPS Holders

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The lives of over a million immigrants in the United States are facing significant upheaval as President-elect Donald Trump unveils intentions to dismantle the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) program, a vital lifeline for individuals from 17 countries deemed too dangerous for safe return. Established in 1990, TPS was originally designed to offer temporary sanctuary for those escaping war, natural disasters, or extraordinary humanitarian crises. Over the years, it has expanded to cover individuals from countries including Haiti, Venezuela, Sudan, and Afghanistan.

TPS currently safeguards migrants by allowing them to live and work in the U.S. while their home countries remain embroiled in turmoil. The program includes over one million people whose lives and families are at risk if their TPS status is revoked. Many, like Maribel Hidalgo, who undertook a harrowing journey from Venezuela to provide a safer future for her young son, now fear the possibility of being uprooted again.

Advocates are pressing the Biden administration to take urgent action to extend and expand TPS, particularly for individuals from Nicaragua, El Salvador, and other nations facing severe hardships. “It’s a moral obligation for the U.S. to protect these people,” stated Maria Bilbao of the American Friends Service Committee. The potential rollback threatens to destabilize not only the lives of these immigrants but also their communities, which rely on their contributions both economically and socially.

Concerns extend to the economic implications, with attorney Ahilan T. Arulanantham noting that revoking work authorizations could lead to “disastrous outcomes for the U.S. economy.” The livelihoods of countless TPS holders are intertwined with industries that have long benefited from their skills and dedication. Furthermore, countries like Haiti and Venezuela are unprepared to accommodate a sudden influx of returning citizens, many of whom have spent decades building lives in the U.S.

The Trump administration’s stance has intensified anxieties among TPS recipients, as expressed by Vania Andre, editor-in-chief of The Haitian Times. With Haiti facing rampant gang violence and economic instability, Andre warns that the country cannot “absorb the return of thousands of people.”

As the Biden administration navigates mounting pressure from immigration advocates, the coming months will be critical in determining the fate of TPS holders. With expirations looming in March and April for several designations, advocates like Elena, a Nicaraguan resident in the U.S. for over 25 years, are watching closely, hoping for an intervention that could avert a humanitarian crisis.

This decision not only impacts individual families but resonates across communities, stirring questions about the U.S.'s commitment to humanitarian protection. As Trump pushes to end TPS, the Biden administration faces a profound moral and policy choice: either act to preserve these protections or allow Trump’s plans to reshape the lives of millions who view America as their only safe haven.



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