CARSON CITY, Nev. – Latino groups are speaking out against the decision by the Trump administration on Monday to end legal status for some people from Central America who were given temporary protected status over the past two decades.

The Temporary Protected Status (TPS) program authorized residency and work permits for tens of thousands of people fleeing hurricanes and strife in Nicaragua, Honduras, Haiti and El Salvador.

Now the Nicaraguans could lose their legal status in January 2019.

Abel Nunez, executive director of the nonprofit group Carecen, the largest Central American immigrants' organization in the country, says the federal government is making a very shortsighted decision.

"Sending back more of their nationals when their country is not ready can only create chaos in those countries and actually create more of a massive wave of migration to the U.S.," he states.

The TPS program has been renewed repeatedly since its inception. But Trump's Department of Homeland Security is changing course, saying that the countries are now stable enough for people to return.

The department put the decision on the fate of 86,000 Hondurans off for six months. And an announcement is expected soon on the fate of TPS holders from Haiti and El Salvador.

Royce Murray, policy director at the American Immigration Council, says it would be cruel to tear parents away from their U.S. born children, uprooting a group of people who came here legally and have set down roots.

"More than 50 percent of these folks have been here more than 20 years,” she points out. “A third of these Hondurans own homes. When pulled together, the Hondurans as well as the Haitians and El Salvadorans, who have TPS, there are 270,000 U.S.-born children from this collective group of TPS holders. "

Congress has spent millions of dollars in recent years trying to stabilize countries in Central America, where violent crime is rampant.

Nunez says Central American immigrants send billions of dollars in remittances back to their home countries each year, and the loss of that money would further destabilize the region.





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As threats of deportation of illegal immigrants increase with the incoming Trump administration, groups in Washington say immigrants are an integral part of the state.

Research from the Washington State Budget and Policy Center and Economic Policy Institute finds nearly one-fifth of workers in the state are immigrants and they generate 145 billion dollars in economic output.

Kaitie Dong, senior policy analyst with the Washington State Budget and Policy Center, said incoming President Donald Trump's plans for mass deportations are a threat to the state.

"One, that is just inhumane and horrendous," she declared. "We don't stand by that at all. Secondly, it's bad for our state economy."

Dong's research also found 29% of "main street" businesses are owned by immigrants. A coalition of groups and lawmakers in the state, including OneAmerica, Washington Immigrant and Solidarity Network, and state Sen. Rebecca Saldaña, D-South Seattle, is urging Gov. Bob Ferguson to protect immigrants. The groups say his office should direct the Department of Corrections to stop cooperating with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Dong said lawmakers in Olympia have a chance to protect undocumented immigrants and adds the state can continue to fund health care for these folks. Lawmakers are moving ahead with a bill to provide unemployment insurance for people who are undocumented.

"Passing this legislation would be incredibly important in ensuring that our undocumented workers do have access to a wage replacement when they lose their jobs due to no fault of their own," she continued.

Dong added state lawmakers have an important role to play in this session as Trump comes back into power.

"Washington and especially our Washington legislators have an opportunity to protect immigrants, resource immigrants who are such an important part of our community, as well as our workforce and economy," she concluded.


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Southeast Asian refugees at risk of deportation in Massachusetts are asking President Biden to pardon them before he leaves office.

Deportations skyrocketed under the first Trump administration with removals of Cambodians up nearly 300%.

Kevin Lam, campaign coordinator for the Southeast Asian Freedom Network, said many Vietnam War refugees lacked the resources to apply for citizenship and risk being separated from their families once again.

"There's action that the Biden Administration can take right now to truly protect immigrant and refugee communities from the threat of detentions and deportations under Trump," Lam contended.

Lam pointed out it includes extending the Temporary Protected Status for immigrants from countries impacted by war or other dangerous conditions and protecting DACA recipients with new H-1B visas.

The 50th anniversary of the fall of Saigon and the end of the Vietnam War will be marked in 2025. More than 1 million Vietnamese, Cambodian and Laotian refugees resettled in the U.S., including parts of Boston and Lowell. Some became entangled in the criminal justice system as they grappled with the trauma of war and now face removal over decades-old convictions.

Lam stressed Biden can rectify policies he once supported, which led to mass incarceration and expulsion of refugees.

"The implications of policies that were passed under him and actions that were taken through him have put Southeast Asians into the prison to deportation pipeline," Lam asserted.

Last month, Biden granted clemency to nearly 1,500 Americans and said he would consider more pardons before the end of his term next week.

Lam argued refugees who fled U.S. military intervention to rebuild their lives in Massachusetts deserve the same chance.


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With President-elect Donald Trump set to take office on Monday, a Pennsylvania group is helping some residents prepare for possible deportation actions and warning of the consequences.

Trump has said his administration will undertake what he called "the largest mass deportation in U.S. history."

Cathryn Miller-Wilson, executive director of the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society Pennsylvania, advised people to stay calm, assert their right to a hearing and avoid opening their doors to unexpected visitors. She added mass deportation would mean workforce shortages for the state, as well as higher tax burdens for residents and businesses.

"What's going to happen if there is success with the proposed policies is, first of all, a good chunk -- maybe 50% or more -- of the workforce will simply disappear," Miller-Wilson pointed out. "They'll either be put into detention or they'll be deported," she said.

America First Legal, representing the Trump administration, has already cautioned more than 200 officials in so-called "sanctuary" jurisdictions about possible legal repercussions for hindering federal immigration enforcement or assisting undocumented people.

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro has pledged to protect residents' rights and uphold community safety.

Miller-Wilson said her organization is working with officials to help keep schools and courts safe, ensuring the children of undocumented parents can go to classes without fear. She added they are also working to provide legal resources and social services to people, particularly those who have lower incomes.

"We've been receiving, since Election Day, an increasing number of calls from individuals who want representation; who may be eligible for a legal remedy and are concerned about trying to get that remedy before the 20th, something that is likely not to happen because the immigration process is so slow," Miller-Wilson outlined.

Miller-Wilson explained misinformation leads to misunderstandings about who crosses the border, and said many people who are undocumented initially entered the country legally but let their visas expire.


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