3 days ago
‘We're living under uncertainty ': Organizations team up to help TPS holders
Immigration advocacy groups and numerous organizations united Saturday for a rally supporting the Venezuelan community in Orlando.
They gathered at the First Baptist Hispano to offer legal advice to those who are or could become undocumented following the latest Supreme Court decision on Temporary Protective Status (known as TPS).
'Many people are feeling afraid and that's understandable because of what's going on across the country,' said Jose Palma, with the National TPS Alliance. 'The hope is that people will understand what's going on with TPS, and how we are organizing to protect TPS and everyone protected by TPS and how we all, working together, can hopefully achieve a way to protect our families.'
TPS is offered to those fleeing countries experiencing political instability. The document allows them to work, live and pay taxes in the U.S.
'We need to be fighting,' said William Diaz, founder of Casa de Venezuela, a nonprofit that helps Venezuelan citizens living in the United States.'We have something today, and then one of the courts comes tomorrow with a different decision. It's a constant fight.'
The Trump administration is ending TPS for Venezuelans. On May 19th, the Supreme Court permitted the program's end, affecting about 350 Venezuelans currently in the country, with other nationalities to follow.
'About 55,000 Hondurans are living this uncertainty,' said Marduel Hernandez, a TPS holder. 'As of right now, TPS holders from Honduras and Nicaragua, we're living under uncertainty of what's going to be happening.'
The assembly follows the Supreme Court's decision to end humanitarian parole for over 500,000 migrants from Venezuela, Cuba, Nicaragua, and Haiti. This temporary protection, similar to TPS, is for those fleeing politically unstable countries.
'It's important to say that all beneficiaries of TPS and parole, they have no criminal record at all. Before they get the authorization to enter the country they go through a background check,' Diaz said.
Casa de Venezuela has two more events planned for the weekend in Tampa and Miami.
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