Florida Representative Sheila Cherfilas-McCormick introduced a new bill, the Respect for Essential Workers Act, that would give green cards to people with Temporary Protected Status in the US. This status is for people from war-torn countries or countries affected by natural disasters who cannot remain in their home country and can seek ‘temporary protection’ in the US. The Donald Trump administration has already revoked this status for citizens of Afghanistan, Cameroon, Haiti, Honduras, Nepal, Nicaragua, Somalia, South Sudan, Syria, Venezuela, Myanmar, Ethiopia and Yemen. The withdrawal of TPS means that the citizens of these countries will now have to go back to their countries. The U.S. Supreme Court on March 16 temporarily halted the administration’s plan to proceed with the deportation of approximately 6,000 Syrians and 350,000 Haitians who had been granted TPS.TPS holders cannot apply directly for a green card and must qualify for a green card separately. For example, if they are married to a US citizen, if they are sponsored by an employer, etc. Also, it is easier for a TPS holder who enters the country after inspection to qualify for a green card than those who enter the US illegally. The proposed bill states that there should be a set period after which TPS holders who may be classified as essential workers can apply for a green card. “More than 403,000 TPS holders in Florida keep our communities running by working in health care, manufacturing, food supply and other sectors. Protecting essential workers is the right thing to do for our communities, our economy and our future,” the Democrat leader said.
Is it possible?
Given the Donald Trump administration’s tough stance on immigration, both legal and illegal, it is extremely unlikely for the administration to grant any permanency to TPS holders. “TPS was designed to be temporary, and this Administration is returning TPS to its original temporary intent. We are prioritizing our national security interests and putting America first,” DHS previously said in explaining why the administration was withdrawing TPS status from several countries.
