Chairman Crowley and Reps. Meng, Polis Urge Federal Government to Extend Temporary Protected Status for Nepalese Nationals
(Washington, D.C.) – House Democratic Caucus Chairman Joe Crowley (D-NY), and Reps. Grace Meng (D-NY) and Jared Polis (D-CO) announced today a letter signed by dozens of House members urging the U.S. Department of Homeland Security andthe U.S. Department of State extend Temporary Protected Status granted to Nepalese nationals living in the United States following the devastating earthquake that struck Nepal in 2015.
Following an earlier letter led by Crowley and Meng, the U.S. government first granted TPS to Nepalese nationals in the immediate weeks after the earthquake. Their status is now due to expire on June 24, 2018.
“…TPS is designed to grant protection for foreign nationals living in the United States when extraordinary circumstances make it difficult for them to return to their home countries,” wrote the lawmakers in the letter. “We believe that the lingering damage in Nepal and the challenges its government faces meet these criteria, and that extending the TPS designation would help the Nepalese government restore housing, safety, and stability to its people.”
Under the Immigration and Nationality Act, the U.S. can provide TPS when conditions in a country prevent its citizens from returning safely such as a natural disaster, civil war, other extraordinary and temporary conditions. This status may be extended when conditions in the country remain dangerous or unsettled.
The Trump administration has announced the termination of TPS status for nationals from Sudan, Nicaragua, Haiti, and El Salvador in the last year, despite calls for extensions by lawmakers. The Department of Homeland Security must announce either the termination or extension of TPS for a country 60 days prior to its expiration date.
The full text of the letter can be found here.
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