For Immediate Release
Friday, June 23, 2023
Media Contact
Erik Villalobos, [email protected]
Martín Pineda, [email protected]
En Banc Ninth Circuit Hears Challenge to Trump Administration Decisions to Terminate TPS Humanitarian Protection for 300,000 people
(Seattle, WA) Yesterday- TPS families, community leaders, allies, & members of migrant communities were at the federal courthouse in Seattle to support plaintiffs and their lawyers during an extraordinary convening to hear Ramos v. Mayorkas, a legal challenge to Trump era terminations of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for over 300,000 people.
In 2018, after the Trump administration attempted to strip away humanitarian protections from over 300,00 TPS holders from El Salvador, Honduras, Nepal, & Nicaragua. Many of these families refused to accept this fate and instead, they sued the government. Now, five years later, the Biden administration is at the Ninth Circuit defending the Trump administration’s legal challenge to this court-ordered emergency relief.
The government has now issued an official Federal Register Notice rescinding four of the Trump era TPS terminations–for El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua and Nepal. The Biden administration announced last week its intention to rescind the Trump terminations and sought to dismiss the appeal; on Friday, the Ninth Circuit denied this request and confirmed that the hearing would proceed as scheduled.
TPS holders, attorneys, and community advocates hosted a press conference prior to the banc hearing to provide updates and express sentiments on the latest developments.
Plaintiffs, Lawyers, and members of the National TPS Alliance made the following statements:
“Today, we are back in court making it clear that Trump’s racist effort to end humanitarian immigration protections for over 400,000 people is not only unconstitutional, but also inhumane. While the news we received last week is very welcome, we know that Biden has the power to do much more. We need him to red-esignate TPS and expand it to all who need it. But Still, TPS recipients need more than temporary relief. Most TPS holders affected by the Trump terminations have lived in the US for more than 20 years. We have built lives, families, and communities. We deserve to stay and be able to obtain permanent residency.”– Elsy Flores-Ayala, TPS Holder, Plaintiff in Ramos v. Mayorkas, Member of the National TPS Alliance
“Last week, the Biden administration announced the extension of TPS for El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua & Nepal- but they have not acknowledged the Trump administration’s narrow approach to TPS decisions, leaving TPS holders vulnerable to future terminations based on a narrow view of conditions in their country.”– Jessica Bansal, Attorney representing plaintiffs in Ramos v. Mayorkas
“We have not taken the protections we have received through TPS for granted. We have worked very hard, paid our taxes, and have gone through the utmost struggle to rebuild our lives here. Many of my fellow Nepalis have started business, built our families and homes here in this country. We are not going to let anyone take that away from us once again. Our home is here and we are here to stay.”-Keshav Bhattarai, TPS Holder, Lead Plaintiff of Companion Bhattarai v. Mayorkas case, member of Adhikaar
Watch Hearing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0kWLphrTCGw
Watch Press Conference: https://www.facebook.com/TPSAlliance/videos/996394261554997
Watch Post-Hearing De-Brief: https://www.facebook.com/TPSAlliance/videos/207849401747997
See Photos (Courtesy of Nate Gowdy): https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1l2oZsQg72-cp0QyKW7Lm-OrDsY_QuKak?usp=sharing
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