Thread: Fewer Central Americans seeking temporary legal status

http://www.dfw.com/mld/startelegram/new ... 435067.htm

Posted on Wed, Apr. 26, 2006

Fewer Central Americans seeking temporary legal status

ANABELLE GARAY
Associated Press

DALLAS - Thousands of Hondurans and Nicaraguans are delaying renewal of the permits allowing them to temporarily live in the U.S., holding out hope that Congress will reform immigration law soon.

The paperwork to stay another year is due by June 1, and some government officials worry immigrants will wait past the deadline and endanger their legal status.

"We're not seeing the numbers and they're really putting themselves at risk for deportation," said Maria Elena Garcia-Upson, a spokeswoman for Immigration and Citizenship Services in Dallas.

Thousands of Central American immigrants are here under temporary protected status, a program allowing people who fled natural disasters, wars and other dangerous conditions to remain in the U.S. It doesn't lead to the green cards that provide permanent resident status, and participants must renew their permits regularly.

Nationwide, some 4,650 of the 75,000 Hondurans eligible for the program had registered by the beginning of this week. And about 250 of the 4,000 eligible Nicaraguans had done so, immigration officials said. That's less than 10 percent of the eligible immigrants with just five weeks before the deadline.

Earlier this year, immigrant advocates lobbied lawmakers to ensure the status was extended again for Central Americans. They said if the program wasn't renewed, parents and their American-born children could be separated, the number of illegal workers in the U.S. could surge, and thousands of people could be forced back to countries that offer little.

"To obtain it was a big, giant battle," said Jose Lagos, president of the Miami-based advocacy group Unidad Hondurena, adding that he was shocked so few people had renewed their paperwork so far.

The number of people applying for the temporary status decreases each year. Some return to their home countries, others become eligible for a green card another way, and others let their status lapse, said Vanna Slaughter, director of Immigration and Legal Services at Catholic Charities of Dallas.

This year, discussion of providing legalization and eventually citizenship to illegal immigrants became another factor. Lawmakers from both parties have said they're optimistic about coming up with immigration reform this year even though legislation has stalled.

"What's happening is that people aren't signing up because they're waiting for them to resolve all that's being discussed in Congress." said Jesus Flores, a Honduran construction worker in Miami, Fla. "That's the problem. It's not 100 percent certain."

Those who don't renew lose their legal status and their ability to work legally. Still, some don't want to spend the nearly $300 per person fees for the temporary status and then pay more money later to participate in another immigration plan, immigrants and advocates say.

"They don't want to have another expense," Flores said in Spanish. "But think about, the protection that gives you, that doesn't have a price."

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On the Net:

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services http://uscis.gov/

Carecen http://www.dccarecen.org/

Unidad Hondurena http://unidadhondurena.cjb.net



ANABELLE GARAY
Associated Press

DALLAS - Thousands of Hondurans and Nicaraguans are delaying renewal of the permits allowing them to temporarily live in the U.S., holding out hope that Congress will reform immigration law soon.

The paperwork to stay another year is due by June 1, and some government officials worry immigrants will wait past the deadline and endanger their legal status.

"We're not seeing the numbers and they're really putting themselves at risk for deportation," said Maria Elena Garcia-Upson, a spokeswoman for Immigration and Citizenship Services in Dallas.

Thousands of Central American immigrants are here under temporary protected status, a program allowing people who fled natural disasters, wars and other dangerous conditions to remain in the U.S. It doesn't lead to the green cards that provide permanent resident status, and participants must renew their permits regularly.

Nationwide, some 4,650 of the 75,000 Hondurans eligible for the program had registered by the beginning of this week. And about 250 of the 4,000 eligible Nicaraguans had done so, immigration officials said. That's less than 10 percent of the eligible immigrants with just five weeks before the deadline.

Earlier this year, immigrant advocates lobbied lawmakers to ensure the status was extended again for Central Americans. They said if the program wasn't renewed, parents and their American-born children could be separated, the number of illegal workers in the U.S. could surge, and thousands of people could be forced back to countries that offer little.

"To obtain it was a big, giant battle," said Jose Lagos, president of the Miami-based advocacy group Unidad Hondurena, adding that he was shocked so few people had renewed their paperwork so far.

The number of people applying for the temporary status decreases each year. Some return to their home countries, others become eligible for a green card another way, and others let their status lapse, said Vanna Slaughter, director of Immigration and Legal Services at Catholic Charities of Dallas.

This year, discussion of providing legalization and eventually citizenship to illegal immigrants became another factor. Lawmakers from both parties have said they're optimistic about coming up with immigration reform this year even though legislation has stalled.

"What's happening is that people aren't signing up because they're waiting for them to resolve all that's being discussed in Congress." said Jesus Flores, a Honduran construction worker in Miami, Fla. "That's the problem. It's not 100 percent certain."

Those who don't renew lose their legal status and their ability to work legally. Still, some don't want to spend the nearly $300 per person fees for the temporary status and then pay more money later to participate in another immigration plan, immigrants and advocates say.

"They don't want to have another expense," Flores said in Spanish. "But think about, the protection that gives you, that doesn't have a price."

---_

On the Net:

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services http://uscis.gov/

Carecen http://www.dccarecen.org/

Unidad Hondurena http://unidadhondurena.cjb.net

Why woulod they seek temporary status, when they can sneak in forever?

I hope it backlfires on them and they get booted out