The clock is ticking for thousands of immigrants in Texas who have been living and working legally in the United States under Temporary Protected Status (TPS). A June ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court has effectively given the Trump administration the green light to revoke TPS protections, leaving more than 100,000 individuals at risk of being expelled from the country.
The decision, written by Associate Justice Samuel Alito, was worded in a way that allows the White House to withdraw TPS protections from any nationality at any time for any reason. The Trump administration has since done so for most TPS recipients, citing the "temporary" nature of the program and the need to uphold the rule of law.
Houston immigration attorney Gordon Quan said the Supreme Court's ruling has put many immigrants in a state of panic, unsure of what the future holds. Quan noted that large communities from countries such as El Salvador, Honduras, and Lebanon are scheduled to have their TPS protections expired or canceled within the next few months.
For some TPS recipients, like Venezuelan immigrant Luis, the best chance of reprieve may depend on a possible change in power in the Republican-led Congress this November. Democrats would need to win significant majorities in both the House and Senate to curtail immigration policies like those implemented by President Donald Trump.
Luis, who fled his homeland in 2017 after being persecuted for protesting against the regime of then-President Nicolas Maduro, is still applying for asylum. He built a successful life in the United States, starting his own roofing inspection company and providing jobs to others. However, he's worried that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) could detain him at a future court hearing anyway.
Others, like Honduran immigrant Sara, are not as fortunate. Her TPS status was stripped away, leaving her jobless and struggling to provide for her four American-born children. Sara said she came to the United States seeking a better life, but now fears being forced back to a country plagued by gang violence and poverty.
Despite their concerns, some TPS recipients are fighting back. Jose, a Salvadoran immigrant who works full-time for an advocacy group called the National TPS Alliance, has been instrumental in helping to keep Trump's efforts to end the program in check between 2017 and 2021. However, since the Supreme Court's decision, DHS has been aggressive about closing doors to TPS recipients.
The business community is also concerned about the potential consequences of ending TPS protections and work permits. The American Business Immigration Coalition has been advocating heavily for Congress to act, citing labor shortages in fields ranging from home health care and construction to education.
In a statement, Luis Zaldivar, business engagement director for the coalition, said: "We have been at it for quite some time now, basically making the argument that out of all of the people in this country that need a work permit, these folks, the TPS holders, are the best example of the type of immigration that we needed. These are folks that are currently working here legally, pay taxes, don’t have a path to citizenship, they cannot get into welfare or any kind of government program, and they are trained to do the jobs."
The clock is ticking for thousands of immigrants in Texas who have been living and working legally in the United States under TPS. The fate of these individuals hangs precariously in the balance, as lawmakers and the Trump administration grapple with the consequences of a ruling that has sent shockwaves throughout the immigration community.
Written by: Clark Fader | The Citizen Edition
“The darkness will prevail.”