17 MAR 2022
Immigration Hub Applauds TPS for Afghanistan, But Questions Delay for TPS for Cameroon
WASHINGTON, DC - Today, the Biden administration announced the designation of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Afghanistan. Earlier this month, protections were also announced for Ukraine. The Immigration Hub welcomes these actions, but questions the delay in designating African nations like Cameroon and Ethiopia for the same protection.
“Today’s news is so important for the tens of thousands of Afghan people in the United States who need protection from deportation. While it doesn’t ease their worries about their families, it does help them to know they aren’t facing immediate deportation. Congress should immediately pass the Afghan Adjustment Act to turn this temporary reprieve into a permanent solution,” said Sergio Gonzales, Executive Director of the Immigration Hub.
He continued: “It took only a matter of days to grant protection to people from Ukraine who are already in the United States, and months to designate Afghanistan for TPS. These measures are meant to save lives, so every day matters. The violence being carried out against Black men, women, and children in Cameroon is equally deadly. We don’t need to witness further death to extend our protection to people who are part of our communities, congregations, neighborhoods and everyday life in America. Just as President Biden reiterated this week that ‘we will welcome Ukrainian refugees with open arms,’ we must also offer that same spirit of generosity to Cameroonians in the U.S. who should not have to face death by deportation. ”
A report from Human Rights Watch documents that “Cameroonian authorities have, between 2019 and 2021, subjected returned deportees and members of their families to serious human rights violations including rape, torture and other physical abuse, arbitrary arrest and detention, inhuman and degrading treatment in detention, extortion, and threats. Perpetrators included police, gendarmes, and military personnel, among other officials and state agents. Armed separatists also beat at least one deported person and threatened the relatives of others.”
Added Gonzales: “The delay in designating or extending TPS for Cameroon, Ethiopia, and Central American nations has severe consequences that are also preventable. The Biden administration should not create a legacy of deporting people to danger. TPS should have been issued to people from Cameroon months ago. There can be no more delay in decisions for African and Central American nations too.”
The Immigration Hub and twenty-five advocacy organizations released key immigration policy priorities for the Biden-Harris administration, 2022 Immigration Priorities: A Blueprint for the Biden-Harris Administration, detailing actions that the president should take this year to fulfill his campaign promises and build a modern and fair immigration system. The report includes additional humanitarian actions the Biden administration must take, including extending TPS to a broader list of nations. For more information, click here.
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The Immigration Hub is a national organization dedicated to advancing fair and just immigration policies through strategic leadership, innovative communications strategies, legislative advocacy and collaborative partnerships.