New York Attorney General Joins Coalition to Oppose DHS Move to Strip TPS from Honduran, Nepali, and Nicaraguan Immigrants

Strategic Insights -

New York Attorney General Letitia James has co-led a coalition of 14 attorneys general in opposing the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) attempt to strip Temporary Protected Status (TPS) from Honduran, Nepali, and Nicaraguan immigrants. The TPS program, established by Congress in 1990, protects immigrants from being returned to countries deemed unsafe, allowing them to work and build a life in the United States. Attorney General James and the coalition argue that ending TPS protections will have devastating economic and humanitarian consequences, including breaking up families and stoking fear in immigrant communities.

Key Takeaways:

  • The coalition includes 14 attorneys general from California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, Oregon, Vermont, and the District of Columbia.
  • The TPS program is a critical humanitarian lifeline established by Congress in 1990, protecting immigrants from being returned to countries deemed unsafe.
  • Revoking TPS for 60,000 people will have devastating economic and humanitarian consequences, including breaking up families and stoking fear in immigrant communities.
  • 68,000 U.S. citizens lived with a Honduran TPS holder, approximately 13,000 U.S. citizens lived with a Nicaraguan TPS holder, and approximately 23,000 U.S. citizens lived with a Nepali TPS holder in 2022.
  • Over 100,000 U.S. citizens lived in mixed-status households with people who are now at risk of losing their legal status.
  • TPS holders from Honduras, Nepal, and Nicaragua face a devastating choice between returning to their country of origin alone, taking their family members with them, or staying in the United States and retreating into the shadows.

Statistics:

  • 7,200 Nepali immigrants will have their TPS revoked, including those who have lawfully lived and worked in the United States for over a decade since the 2015 earthquakes.
  • 51,000 immigrants from Honduras will have their TPS revoked, who were granted TPS status in 1999 due to the devastation left by Hurricane Mitch.
  • 2,900 immigrants from Nicaragua will have their TPS revoked, who were granted TPS status in 1999.
  • 60,000 people will lose their legal status, including 56,800 TPS holders from all countries who call New York home.
  • 100,000 U.S. citizens lived in mixed-status households with people who are now at risk of losing their legal status.

Sources:

  • New York Office of the Attorney General Letitia James
  • Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
  • National TPS Alliance v. Noem
  • U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)
  • Congressional Research Service (CRS)
  • Pew Research Center (PRC)