Thread: Members of Congress Urge Bush to Reopen TPS Registration for

Solis, Other Members of Congress Urge Bush to Reopen TPS Registration for Nicaraguans and Hondurans

http://solis.house.gov/apps/list/press/ ... /tps.shtml
--------------------------------

For Immediate Release
October 13, 2007 Contact: Sonia Melendez
(202) 225-5464; (202) 225-4573

Solis, Other Members of Congress Urge Bush to Reopen TPS Registration for Nicaraguans and Hondurans

TPS Registration Expired One Month Before Hurricane Felix Left 130 Dead and 86 Missing and Destroyed 19,000 Homes in Central America


Washington, D.C. - Today, Congresswoman Hilda L. Solis (D-CA), along with 19 other Members of Congress, sent a letter to President Bush urging him to reopen the registration period for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Nicaraguans and Hondurans living in the United States.

The most recent registration period expired on July 31, 2007, a month before Hurricane Felix left at least 130 people dead, 86 missing, and 19,000 homes destroyed. Ensuring TPS for Nicaraguan and Honduran nationals living in the United States is critical to facilitating the reconstruction of their homelands and allowing the region to recover without further straining its already burdened social infrastructure.

TPS allows nationals of countries in crisis who are presently in the U.S. to continue to live and work legally in the U.S. until the designated period expires. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is authorized to designate a country’s nationals eligible for TPS if there has been an environmental disaster resulting in a substantial but temporary disruption of living conditions in the area affected, the affected country is temporarily unable to handle the return of its nationals, and its government has officially requested TPS be granted.


Below is the text of the letter.



October 12, 2007



President George W. Bush

The White House

Washington, DC



Dear President Bush,



We are writing to request that the re-registration period for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Nicaraguans and Hondurans living in the United States be re-opened. As you know, this re-registration period recently expired on July 31, 2007.



Just one month after the re-register period for TPS expired for Nicaragua and the Honduras, Hurricane Felix, a Category Five storm, struck a devastating blow to the impoverished nations. The ferocious storm left at least 130 people dead, 86 missing, and 19,000 homes destroyed. According to the United Nation’s World Food Program, about 80 percent of the 10,000 homes affected by the hurricane were destroyed. The situation for the 160,000 people who survived the natural disaster is dire. Many villages remain cutoff from assistance because of mudslides, nearly 5,200 water wells were contaminated, and the harvest of rice and other vital crops in the affected areas have been lost.



With Central America still recovering from the impact of Hurricane Mitch in 2001, it will take years for Nicaragua and the Honduras to rebuild from this latest natural disaster. Ensuring TPS for Nicaraguan and Honduran nationals living in the United States is critical to facilitating the reconstruction of their homelands and allowing the region to recover without further straining its already burdened social infrastructure. It can also help strengthen the region’s fragile economy through remittances sent home each year.



Again, we request that the TPS re-registration period be re-opened for Nicaragua and the Honduras. Taking this action will help alleviate the current situation in Central America and ensure that the approximately 78,000 nationals of Honduras and 4,000 nationals of Nicaragua who are eligible for TPS may re-apply in the aftermath of Hurricane Felix. We look forward to your favorable consideration of this request and welcome the opportunity to discuss this with you or your designated staff.



Sincerely,



Rep. Hilda L. Solis

Rep. Howard Berman

Rep. Robert Brady

Rep. Lincoln Diaz-Balart

Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart

Rep. Eliot Engel

Rep. Chaka Fattah

Rep. Gene Green

Rep. Raul Grijalva

Rep. Luis Gutierrez

Rep. Alcee Hastings

Rep. Michael Honda

Rep. Edward Markey

Rep. James McGovern

Rep. Kendrick Meek

Rep. James Moran

Rep. Eleanor Holmes-Norton

Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen

Rep. Janice D. Schakowsky

Rep. Jose Serrano

What a bunch of BS ! I live in Florida and 3 years ago we were hit with FOUR major hurricanes.FEMA was suppose to help but we all know FEMA's record.So if we could literally weather 4 storms and stay put I think they may be able to manage ONE !!