16 FEB 2022

The Biden Administration Must Fulfill Campaign Promises and ISSUE TPS FOR CAMEROON

WASHINGTON, DC - As Cameroon continues to face harrowing humanitarian crises, compounded with the dangerous presence of Boko Haram, Cameroonians in the United States remain at risk of deportation. Previously, the Trump administration had sent hundreds of asylum seekers back to Cameroon where they faced persecution, torture and oppression in the hands of state agents, according to a Human Rights Watch report. While the Biden-Harris administration halted one deportation flight to Cameroon in February, flights have resumed, sending Cameroonians back to dangerous and potentially lethal conditions. The Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Department of State are currently considering whether to issue Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Cameroonians already living in the U.S.

Kerri Talbot, the Immigration Hub’s Deputy Director, affirmed, “The administration should immediately issue Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Cameroon. There should be no reluctance to do so given the incredibly alarming and urgent situation in Cameroon and the fact that the conditions in the country meet the qualifications for a TPS designation.

“The Biden-Harris administration’s campaign promise to the American people was to rebuild our immigration system after four years of anti-Black and anti-immigrant policies and to protect people from deportation to unsafe countries by granting TPS to vulnerable people living in the United States. Deporting Cameroonians who have made America their home and have been critical to our economic recovery fails to live up to the administration’s commitment to voters and immigrant communities. Keeping families together, routing out discrimination and preserving America’s welcoming principles to those fleeing persecution and oppression are the values that govern President Biden’s immigration blueprint and vision for a fair and modern immigration system.”

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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.