by Peter Moskowitz
December 5, 2013 10:15AM ET
Aljazeera America

Activists want the US to grant Filipino immigrants temporary protected status so they can better assist in the recovery

The estimated number of people killed by Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines keeps rising, now surpassing 5,700.

That’s led to a massive recovery effort both within the Philippines and among the million-and-a-half Filipino immigrants living in the United States.

But for most of the hundreds of thousands of undocumented Filipinos in the U.S., securing a job that affords enough disposable income to send back home is difficult, and traveling back to the Philippines to help is nearly impossible.

Now, immigrant groups across the country are calling on the Department of Homeland Security to grant Filipinos who were already in the U.S. when Haiyan hit Temporary Protected Status (TPS). This would allow many to work legally in the U.S., send money back home and fly back to the Philippines without fear of being denied re-entry into the U.S.

While granting TPS would only provide temporary help for those looking to assist loved ones back home, immigrant rights activists say it would be an important step in alleviating the massive strain Typhoon Haiyan put on Filipino communities.

But, unlike after previous disasters such as the 2010 Haitian earthquake, it’s unclear if there’s political will in either country’s government to usher through TPS. And critics of TPS point out that the measure has had mixed success in the past and might distract from the longer-term need for immigration solutions.

Filipino immigrants, legal assistance groups and 20 U.S. Senators have joined forces to push for Temporary Protected Status. They sent letters to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and urged the government of Philippine President Benigno Aquino to work out a TPS agreement.

“It’s not a silver bullet,” said Leah Obias, the campaigns coordinator for Damayan Migrant Workers Association, which assists Filipinos in the New York area. “But things like protected immigration status, work authorization and being able to travel — these are major things.”

Because, unlike comprehensive immigration reform, TPS can be granted without Congressional approval, Obias and her colleagues think TPS for the Philippines is well within reach. They point to past examples, like the protected status granted to Haitians after the 2010 Haitian earthquake that killed 100,000 people or the TPS granted to Honduras after Hurricane Mitch in 1998. There are currently eight countries with Temporary Protected Status.

But TPS for other countries has usually been granted in the days immediately after a disaster. Typhoon Haiyan hit the Philippines a month ago, and there’s still no sign that Philippine President Benigno Aquino will request the status for his country, a necessary step before the U.S. considers the measure.

If Aquino eventually does send a formal request, granting TPS could still be a controversial decision for U.S. officials.

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