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Rep. Gutiérrez Calls On DHS Secretary Jeh Johnson to Grant Temporary Protected Status To Ecuadorians


“I am asking the Secretary to take action as quickly as possible to lift the uncertainty facing Ecuadorians in the U.S.”

Rep. Gutiérrez Calls On DHS Secretary to Grant TPS To Ecuadorians

A makeshift camp in Pedernales, Ecuador on April 26, 2016. Photo by Enes Duran/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images

Chicago – (ENEWSPF)–May 23, 2016.  On Monday, Rep. Luis V. Gutiérrez (D-IL) called on the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to grant Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to citizens of Ecuador living in the United States.  The Government of Ecuador reportedly made the formal request for TPS to the United States last week, so “there should be no further delay,” the Congressman said.  TPS, which under law is granted at the discretion of the DHS Secretary (see USCIS website and recent CRS report), would temporarily shield certain Ecuadorian citizens from deportation as the country recovers from the devastating earthquake on April 16 and its aftershocks.

Rep. Gutiérrez is reiterating a request he made in a letter to President Obama on April 25, 2016, in which the Congressman said, “The United States Congress created TPS for exactly these types of dire circumstances in foreign countries, when those citizens cannot safely return to their country” (letter and press release). On Monday, the Congressman said he would call the Secretary to make clear the urgency of his request.

“It has already taken longer than it should have to grant TPS – more than a month since the terrible earthquakes rocked Ecuador,” Rep. Gutiérrez said.  “I am asking the Secretary to take action as quickly as possible to lift the uncertainty facing Ecuadorians in the U.S. who might be deported.  The situation in Ecuador is very serious and TPS allows Ecuadorians to help support the recovery effort through their remittances and TPS delays deportations until after the country is stable enough to accept returning nationals.”

Rep. Gutiérrez represents the Fourth District of Illinois, is a Member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, is a Member of the House Judiciary Committee and is the Co-Chair of the Immigration Task Force of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.

Source: http://www.gutierrez.house.gov


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