For Immediate Release
Friday, April 15, 2022
Media Contact
Erik Villalobos, evillalobos@ndlon.org
BREAKING: DHS Designates TPS for Cameroon
(New Jersey) Today, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas has announced an 18-month Temporary Protected Status (TPS) designations for Cameroonian migrants living in the United States as of April 14, 2022. The announcement was made after more than a year of numerous calls from Cameroonian migrant communities and immigrant rights advocates to designate TPS due to the ongoing conflict in Cameroon.
In response to this news, Jessika Girón released the following statement on behalf of the National TPS Alliance:
“At long last! Cameroonian migrants have called for a TPS designation since day one of the Biden administration. Today, we welcome yet another long awaited TPS designation and applaud the resilience of the Cameroonian community who made this possible. We will always stand in solidarity with all migrant communities who are in need of protections in this moment of unprecedented crises around the world.
The Biden administration is clearly aware of the executive authority it has to provide relief to migrants and refugees, so why do we have yet to hear about a designation for Guatemala or a re-designation for Honduras? Instead, we see that the administration is creating a ‘war room’, preparing for an influx of mostly Central American migrants if and when the Trump-era Title 42 policy is officially lifted.
We are growing particularly concerned that the same Trump-era anti-Central American “sh*thole country” racism is inhibiting the Biden administration from using their legal authority and moral obligation to protect migrants and refugees. As we fight towards equal rights, we will continue to highlight the need for swift action to be taken on behalf of Central Americans.”
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The National TPS Alliance is a grassroots immigrant rights organization of over 50 committees nationwide, advocating for the permanent residency of more than 400,000 beneficiaries of Temporary Protected Status (TPS)