FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 14th, 2020
MEDIA CONTACT:
Viridiana Vidal, 702-206-2110, [email protected]
Martin Pineda, 213, 712-4022 [email protected]
Federal Appeals Court Lifts Injunction Blocking Trump from “De-documenting” Immigrants with TPS
TPS Alliance will hold a press call to respond and announce next steps in campaign to win residency.
Nationwide – On Monday, September 14th, the Ninth Circuit appeals court overturned protections for nearly half a million TPS holders after making a final verdict on the Ramos v. Nielsen lawsuit, combined with the Bhattarai lawsuit, the two lawsuits which resulted in an injunction protecting TPS families from six countries (El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, Nepal, Nicaragua, and Sudan).
Despite overwhelming evidence that Trump’s TPS terminations were motivated by racism, this action will move forward and it now clears the way for the Trump Administration to de-document and tear apart 400,000 families. In as little as six months, TPS holders now face what could have been the reality for DACA recipients. TPS holders would lose their lawful status and their U.S. citizen children could be forced to make an impossible choice between their families and their homes. Now more than ever it is imperative that Congress act to protect TPS families.
In response, lawsuit plaintiffs, their attorneys, TPS Holders, their families, friends & allies will hold a series of mobilizations and press conferences to express their disagreement with these decisions & explain what is at stake moving forward for more than 400,000 families who are at greater risk.
The National TPS Alliance and Plaintiffs in Ramos V. Nielsen issued the following statements:
“This government has failed me and the other 250,000 US citizen children of TPS holders. If this decision stands, it means Trump’s termination of TPS will move ahead and TPS holders will only have until January 2021 to legally live and work in this country. We need our senators to act now and pass the Dream & Promise Act to grant TPS holders a permanent residency before another wave of family separations occurs. Despite the court’s decision, our fight must continue.” -Crista Ramos, Lead Plaintiff in Ramos v. Nielsen
“We vow to continue our struggle for justice and equality. We don’t take this decision as the final verdict. We will continue to fight in the Court system, in the streets, in the halls of congress and in the court of public opinion. Our plaintiffs, our legal team, and the TPS community are preparing to appeal the decision in the entire Ninth Circuit. We will exhaust every legal recourse at our disposal to protect our community and our loved ones.” –Wilna Destin, TPS Holder and Plaintiff in Ramos v. Nielsen
“Given the news of the lawsuit today, The National TPS Alliance wants to make it clear that we are ready to step into direct conversations with Republicans & Democrats. We call on Senator McConnell, Senator Schumer, and House Speaker Pelosi to immediately pass a permanent residency for TPS families, through whichever legislative vehicle moves most quickly.” –Cristina Ramos, TPS Holder and plaintiff in Ramos V. Nielsen
“To end protections for over 400,000 TPS families, including the more than 130,000 people who have been risking their lives as essential workers in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, would be very cruel; especially during these difficult times. This is a difficult decision for our struggle but it is far from finished. Our plaintiffs, our legal team, and the TPS community are preparing to appeal the decision in the entire Ninth Circuit. We will exhaust every legal recourse at our disposal to protect our community and our loved ones. We will take this fight all the way to the US Supreme Court if necessary and continue to demand that Congress act now to pass a permanent residency.” –Paul Andre Mondesir, Lead Organizer for the National TPS Alliance
The plaintiffs in Ramos v. Nielsen are represented by the ACLU Foundation of Southern California, NDLON, and the law firm of Sidley Austin LLP; Asian Americans Advancing Justice also represents plaintiffs in the related case of Bhattarai v. DHS. The plaintiffs in Ramos and Bhattarai are members of diverse organizations fighting to defend TPS, including the National TPS Alliance, CARECEN-Los Angeles, African Communities Together, Working Families United, UNITE-HERE, Adhikaar and Haitian Bridge Alliance.
LAWSUIT INFORMATION: https://www.nationaltpsalliance.org/tps-lawsuit/.
Background: The National TPS Alliance is a grassroots organization advocating for the permanent residency of beneficiaries of Temporary Protected Status from the countries of El Salvador, Honduras, Haiti, Nicaragua, Nepal, Syria, Sudan, South Sudan, Somalia, Guinea, Sierra Leone and Yemen