Letter - People Power United joins coalition efforts to protect immigrant families

🗽A well informed citizenry is the best defense against tyranny.

People Power United joined over 400 local, state, and national groups to send a message to President Biden and Secretary Mayorkas to protect immigrant families by redesignating TPS for El Salvador, Nicaragua, Honduras & Nepal, & designate/redesignate TPS for other countries that qualify, including Guatemala & Venezuela.¹ Shout out to CASA for leading this effort.

Alejandro Mayorkas 

Secretary of Homeland Security 

U.S. Department of Homeland Security 

301 7th Street, S.W.  

Washington, D.C. 2052 

Dear Mr. Secretary, 

The organizations signed on below urge you to immediately use your discretion to redesignate  Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for El Salvador, Nicaragua, Honduras, and Nepal, which you  have recently found to meet the necessary country condition requirements. We also urge you to  make the findings necessary to designate or redesignate TPS for all other countries that qualify  under the statute, including Guatemala and Venezuela. 

On Wednesday, June 21st, 2023, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) extended – but  did not redesignate – the TPS designations of El Salvador, Nicaragua, Honduras, and Nepal. The  decision to extend these designations was necessary to resolve the status of just under 250,000  longstanding U.S. residents who have been living in limbo since the former administration  attempted to terminate TPS for these countries. All of those benefiting already have TPS and will  now be able to maintain the lawful status they have held – in the case of the Central American  countries – for close to a quarter century. 

The Federal Register notices published on that day by DHS included a formal finding that “The  conditions supporting . . . designation for TPS still continue to be met” for all four of these  countries. Based on this finding, DHS was required to extend TPS for them. But by statute the  same finding also allows DHS, in its discretion, to redesignate TPS for those countries. Doing so  would provide TPS protections to individuals who have come to the U.S. and established lives  here in the many intervening years since the original designations. Such a decision to redesignate  will remain open to you, as DHS Secretary, in your unreviewable discretion, until and unless  those conditions are no longer in place. Failure to exercise that discretion would leave one to two  million people from these same nations unprotected, even though they face the exact same  dangers as current TPS holders if forcefully returned to their countries of origin. 

The case for exercising this statutory authority delegated to you by Congress is overwhelming,  considering that it would provide enormous benefits to our nation and also fulfill the spirit of the  president’s campaign promise not to return TPS holders to unsafe countries. A decision to  redesignate TPS for these countries would of course be life-changing for those who have made  their lives here. In addition, a wealth of research demonstrates the benefits to all workers and the  economy of granting legal status to persons who already live and work in the U.S. and  specifically documents the huge economic contributions of persons who have or would be  eligible for TPS. Redesignating TPS for these countries would grant work authorization to a  meaningful proportion of all currently undocumented workers, helping to alleviate tight labor  markets and reducing the need for local safety net programs. It would also increase remittances  back to these countries, putting resources directly into the hands of the people who need it most,  helping to bring stability to those countries, and thereby reducing migration. We cannot think of  a single countervailing argument of anywhere close to equal force.

To your credit, DHS under your leadership has often recognized this balance of considerations  and has used its discretion to designate or redesignate TPS for several countries that qualify  because the return of their nationals residing in the U.S. would be unsafe. In July of 2022,  however, you extended but declined to redesignate TPS for Venezuela despite determining that  the conditions justifying a TPS designation were met at that time. Decisions on other countries  that would appear to qualify have yet to be rendered. Guatemala, for example, is experiencing  conditions that are very similar to those of its Central American neighbors, and the Guatemalan  nationals who would benefit from a TPS designation include many who have lived and  contributed to our nation as essential workers and otherwise for more than three decades. 

Every day of delay of TPS designations for these countries is a humanitarian and economic loss  for all of us. We therefore once again ask you, in the strongest terms, to: 

Immediately redesignate TPS for El Salvador, Nicaragua, Honduras, and Nepal based on the  country condition findings that the Department made on June 21st; and 

Make the country conditions findings necessary to designate or redesignate TPS for Guatemala,  Venezuela, and all other countries that qualify. 

Thank you for considering this request. 

Sincerely, 

cc: Secretary Antony Blinken, Department of State 

1Hood Power 

350 Bay Area Action 

350 Sacramento 

350.org 

350Hawaii 

AbueNica 

Access Living / Cambiando Vidas 

ACM Legal Services 

Action Together NEPA 

Adhikaar for Human Rights & Social Justice 

Advance Maryland 

Advocates for Immigrant Rights 

African Asylum Initiative of Courageous Resistsnce 

African Career Education & Resource, Inc. 

African Communities Together 

African Immigration Initiative 

Al Otro Lado 

Alabama Coalition for Immigrant Justice (ACIJ) 

ALAC Alabama Latino AIDS Coalition 

Aldea - The People's Justice Center 

Alianza Americas 

America’s Voice 

American Business Immigration Coalition - Action

American Civil Liberties Union 

American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) American Federation of Teachers 

American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) 

American Immigration Lawyers Association 

American Jewish Committee (AJC) 

Arab American Association of New York 

Arkansas United 

Armadillos Ni un Migrante Menos 

Asian American Advocacy Fund 

Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC 

Asian Pacific Institute on Gender-Based Violence 

Asociacion de Gautemaltecos Sin Fronteras 

Asociación Guatemaltecos Sin Fronteras 

Association for Nursing Professional Development- Houston (ANPDH) Asylum Seeker Advocacy Project (ASAP) 

Audubon Mid-Atlantic 

Ayuda 

Baltimore/DC-Metro Building Trades 

Bend the Arc Jewish Action: South Jersey 

Bermang Bustos 

Black Alliance for Just Immigration 

Boston Immigrant Justice Accompaniment Network (BIJAN) 

Boston University International Human Rights Clinic 

Brazilian Women's Group 

Buen Vecino 

Building Skills Partnership 

Cabrini Immigrant Services or NYC 

California Immigrant Policy Center (CIPC) 

Capital Area Immigrants' Rights (CAIR) Coalition 

Care for Your Health, Inc 

Care in Action 

Caribbean Community Service Center (CCSC) 

Carpenters Local 197 

CASA 

Casa de Venezuela Atlanta 

Casa de Venezuela Jacksonville 

Casa de Venezuela New England 

Casa de Venezuela North Carolina 

Casa de Venezuela Orlando 

CASA in Action 

Casa Mary Johanna 

Casa San Jose 

Casa Yurumein 

CASH Campaign of Maryland 

Catholic Charities of SW Kansas

Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc. (CLINIC) 

Cedar Lane Unitarian Universalist Congregation Immigrant Justice Ministry Cedar Lane Unitarian Universalist Environmental Justice Ministry Center for Gender & Refugee Studies 

Center for Immigrant Progress 

Center for Law and Social Policy 

Center for Popular Democracy 

Center for Progressive Reform 

Central American Black Organization 

Central American Resource Center - CARECEN 

Central American Resource Center - CARECEN SF 

Central American Resource Center of Los Angeles 

Centro Comunitario CEUS 

Centro de Apoyo Familiar 

Centro Presente 

Centro Romero 

Centro San Bonifacio 

Chesapeake Climate Action Network (CCAN) 

Chesapeake Climate Action Network Action Fund 

Chesapeake Physicians for Social Responsibility 

Chicago Religious Leadership Network (CRLN) 

Ciudadanía Oregón 

Climate Refugees 

CO Communications LLC 

Coalicion de Lideres Latinos (CLILA) 

Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA) 

Colectivo de Desarrollo Transnacional de Michoacán 

Colectivo de Mujeres Transnacional de Michoacan 

Colorado Jobs with Justice 

Committee of Interns & Residents/SEIU 

Communities Organizing Latinx Power and Action- COPAL Minnesota Communities United for Status & Protection (CUSP) 

Community Change Action 

Comunidades Indigenas en Liderazgo (CIELO) 

Comunidades Sin Fronteras CSF-CT INC 

Congregation Action Network (CAN) 

Congregation of Our Lady of Charity of the Good Shepherd, U.S. Provinces Connecticut Shoreline Indivisible 

Connecticut Worker Center 

Corazon Latino 

CRECEN Houston 

Crossroads Community Food Network 

Daily Kos 

De Leon & Nestor, LLC 

Diáspora Hondureña Internacional, Inc. 

Diocesan Migrant and Refugee Services Inc

Diocese of Atlanta 

Dominican Development Center 

Dominican Sisters of Mission San Jose 

Dorothy Day Catholic Worker, Washington DC Dreamers Mothers In Action (DMIA) 

DRUM - Desis Rising Up & Moving 

Durango Unido 

El Centro de Igaulada y Derechos 

El Vínculo Hispano 

Elders Climate Action Maryland 

Emerald Isle Immigration Center 

Encuentro 

Environmental Justice Ministry Team, Cedar Lane UU Church eQuality HomeCare Coop 

Esperanza Immigrant Rights Project 

Etc Group, LLC 

Evangelical Lutheran Church in America 

Faith in New Jersey 

Faiths for Safe Water 

Familias Unidas en Acción 

Family Action Network Movement 

Farmworker Association of Florida 

Fe y Justicia Worker Center 

FIRM - FIlipinx for Immigrant Rights and Racial Justice MN First Friends of New Jersey & New York 

Florence Immigrant & Refugee Rights Project 

Florida Immigrant Coalition 

Franciscan Action Network 

Franciscan Network for Migrants--USA 

Free Migration Project 

Friends Committee on National Legislation 

Fuerza Democrática Nicaragüense FDN 

Fundación Blanca Nieve Sierra 

FWD.us 

FWMgroup 

GALEO Impact Fund 

Global Labor Justice-International Labor Rights Forum Grassroots Leadership 

Greater Lawrence Community Action Council, Inc. GreenLatinos 

Grupo de reflexión de excarcelados políticos GREX Gulf Coast LCLAA 

Haitian Bridge Alliance 

Hamkae Center 

Heartland Workers Center 

Hispanic Federation

Hondurans Against AIDS 

Hondureños contra el sida 

Hope Border Institute 

Houston America For All 

Human Rights Campaign 

Human Rights First 

IBEW Local 26 

Ignite Peace 

Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights 

Illinois Environmental Council 

Illinois Venezuelan Alliance (IVA) 

Illinois Workers Action 

Immaculate Heart Community Commission on Justice for Immigrants, Refugees, Indigenous  People 

Immigrant Children Advocates' Relief Effort (ICARE) 

Immigrant Defenders Law Center 

Immigrant Justice Ministry, Cedar Lane Unitarian Universalist Church Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota 

Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project 

Immigrant Legal Center 

Immigrant Legal Center of Boulder County 

Immigrant Legal Resource Center 

Immigration Hub 

Immigration Law & Justice New York 

Immigration Services and Legal Advocacy (ISLA) 

Indivisible Georgia Coalition 

Institute for Justice & Democracy in Haiti (IJDH) 

Interfaith Power & Light 

International Institute of New England 

International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP) 

International Union of Painters and Allied Trades 

InterReligious Task Force on Central America 

Jewish Coalition for Immigrant Justice NW 

Jewish Community Action 

Jewish Vocational Service - Boston 

Jewish Voice for Peace, Atlanta chapter 

Jobs With Justice 

Justice Action Center 

Justice in Motion 

Kentucky Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights 

La Estrella de Nicaragua 

Labor Council for Latin American Advancement 

Laborers' International Union of North America (LIUNA) 

Langley Park Civic Association 

Latin America Working Group 

Latinas en Poder

Latino Commission on AIDS 

Latino Community Fund INC (LCF Georgia) 

Latino Policy Forum 

League of Conservation Voters 

Liberales de Nicaragua en Exilio 

Lila LGBTQ, Inc. 

Living Hope Wheelchair Association 

Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service 

Lutheran Social Services of the National Capital Area (LSSNCA) Make the Road New York 

Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns 

Maryland Latinos Unidos 

Maryland League of Conservation Voters 

Maryland Legislative Coalition 

Maryland Legislative Coalition Climate Justice Wing 

Mass TPS Committee 

Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition 

Massachusetts Law Reform Institute 

Media Alliance 

Mi Familia Vota 

Miami Workers Center 

Migrant Equity Southeast 

Minneapolis Regional Labor Federation, AFL-CIO 

Minnesota Council on Latino Affairs (MCLA) 

Minnesota Freedom Fund 

Mission Guatemala USA 

Mitchell Hamline School of Law - Health Law Clinic 

Mojica Tax & Accounting 

MomsRising - MamásConPoder 

Movement of Immigrant Leaders in Pennsylvania (MILPA) 

Mujeres Unidas y Activas 

Mundo Maya Foundation 

N2G 

NAKASEC - National Korean American Service & Education Consortium's NAPAFASA - National Asian Pacific American Families Against Substance Abuse National Advocacy Center of the Sisters of the Good Shepherd National Domestic Workers Alliance 

National Employment Law Project 

National Immigrant Justice Center 

National Immigration Law Center 

National Immigration Project (NIPNLG) 

National LGBTQ Task Force Action Fund 

National Network for Arab American Communities (NNAAC) National Partnership for New Americans 

National TPS Alliance 

Naugatuck Valley Project

Nepalese association of Georgia 

Network in Solidarity with the People of Guatemala NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice 

Never Again Action 

New Jersey Consortium for Immigrant Children 

New York Immigration Coalition 

NextGen America 

Nicaragua Libre 

Nicaragua Nueva Generacion 

Nicaragua TPS 

Nicaraguan American Human Rights Alliance 

Nicaraguan American Legal Defense and Education Fund, NALDEF Nicaraguenses en el Mundo Texas, Inc 

Nigerian Center 

Northeastern University School of Law Immigrant Justice Clinic Northern Virginia Labor Federation 

Nurse Alliance of SEIU California 

One Pennsylvania 

Our Revolution Maryland 

Passionist Solidarity Network 

Pax Christi Florida 

Peace, Justice, Sustainability NOW! 

Pennsylvania Immigration and Citizenship Coalition People Power United 

People Progress Network 

People's Action 

Pilipino Worker Center of Southern California 

Pilipino Workers Center 1 

Pilipino Workers Center 2 

Poder Latinx 

Pomona Economic Opportunity Center 

Presbyterian Church (USA) 

Presente.org 

Presidents' Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration Public Justice Center 

RCMA - Redlands Christian Migrant Association 

Red de Pueblos Transnacionales 

Red Mexicana de Lideres y Organizaciones de Migrantes Refugee Congress 

Refugees International 

Repatriate Our Patriots 

Represent GA Action Network 

Rian Immigrant Center 

Rocky Mountain Immigrant Advocacy Network 

Rural Women Health Project 

Salvadoran Association of Los Angeles (ASOSAL)

Seeds of Resistance 

SEIU 1199 United Healthcare Workers East 

SEIU 121 RN 

SEIU 32BJ 

SEIU CA 

SEIU Healthcare 1199NW 

SEIU Healthcare Minnesota & Iowa 

SEIU Local 1 

SEIU Local 105 

SEIU Local 2015 

SEIU Local 26 

SEIU Local 521 

SEIU Local 721 

SEIU Local 99 

SEIU Minnesota State Council 

SEIU Texas 

SEIU United Healthcare Workers West 

SEIU United Service Workers West 

SEIU Washington State Council 

SEIU Wisconsin 

SEIU Workers United Southern Region 

SEIU6 Property Service NW 

Service Employees International Union (SEIU) 

Services, Immigrant Rights, & Education Network 

Shine Bright Vision Service Corp 

Showing Up for Racial Justice Baltimore 

Sierra Club 

Sister Parish 

Sisters of Mercy of the Americas Justice Team 

Sisters of Saint Joseph Brentwood, NY 

Sisters of St. Dominic of Blauvelt, New York 

Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia 

Sojourners 

Somali Family Service of San Diego 

Southeast Immigrant Rights Network (SEIRN) 

Stand.earth 

Strangers No Longer (Michigan) 

Student Clinic for Immigrant Justice 

Sunflower Alliance 

Sunrise New Orleans 

Telpochacalli Community Education Project 

Temporary Protected Status Deferred Enforced Departure Administrative Advocacy Coalition  (TPS-DED AAC) 

Terra Advocati 

Texas AFL-CIO 

The Committee of Interns and Residents - SEIU

The Commonwealth Institute for Fiscal Analysis 

The Episcopal Church 

The Movement  

The People’s Justice Council 

Transformations CDC 

U-Lead Athens 

U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI) 

U.S. Federation of the Sisters of St. Joseph 

UFCW Local 663 

UndocuBlack Network 

UnidosUS 

Union for Reform Judaism 

Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (UUSC) 

Unitarian Universalists for a Just Economic Community 

Unitarian Universalists for Social Justice 

Unite Here International Union 

Unite Here Local 25 

United Church of Christ, Justice and Local Church Ministries United Farm Workers 

United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW) United for a Fair Economy 

United Stateless 

United Vision for Idaho 

United We Dream 

UnsdocuBlack Network 

Venezolanos Unidos en Indiana (VUI-AVI) 

Venezuelan American Caucus 

Venezuelan Association of Massachusetts  

Venezuelans and Immigrants Aid (VIA) 

Virginia Coalition for Immigrant Rights 

Voces de la Frontera 

Voces Unidas (RGV) 

Voice for Refuge Action Fund 

Voto Latino 

Walter Adan Fornos Lizano 

Warehouse Workers for Justice 

Washington State Labor Council, AFl-CIO 

Wayne Action for Racial Equality 

We Are All America 

WeCount! 

Welcoming America 

West LA Democratic Club 

Wheaton Franciscan Sisters Justice, Peace, and Integrity of Creation Office Wilfredo Maradiaga 

WIN! The Welcome Immigrant Network 

Wind of the Spirit Immigrant Resource Center

Witness at the Border 

Women Watch Afrika, Inc. 

Women Working Together U.S.A. 

Women’s Alliance Theology, Ethics, and Ritual (WATER) Women's Refugee Commission 

Workers Confluence Fund of Minnesota 

Workers Defense Action Fund 

Working Families United 

Zero Hour

1. https://thehill.com/latino/4194991-bidens-punt-to-congress-on-immigration-is-wearing-thin-with-advocates/