Ken Cuccinelli of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services: “Work permits for Salvadorans will be extended for one year past resolution of litigation for an orderly wind down period.”
Temporary protected status will last six more months for 58,000 Haitian immigrants in the United States. The loss of this immigration protection could lead to deportation to a country that continues to struggle with the impact of two earthquakes and a devastating cholera epidemic.
Homeland Security recently reported that only a small fraction of Haitian immigrants potentially eligible for special immigration relief through Temporary Protected Status (TPS) have actually sought that benefit. Immigrant advocates and humanitarian groups lauded the granting of TPS in the wake of the earthquake.
According to Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano the U.S. may be home to as many as 200,000 undocumented Haitian immigrants. Starting today the Obama administration is allowing Haitians who have been in the U.S. without legal status before January 12 to apply for temporary protected status (TPS.) The status will allow Haitians to stay for 18 months and work while earthquake recovery continues.
