Honduran President Asks U.S. Government to Extend Temporary Protected Status for Central American Immigrants
Officials will consider renewal at the Conference on Prosperity and Security in Central America
Jun 14, 2017, 08:35 ET
MIAMI, June 14, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- This week, at the Conference on Prosperity and Security in Central America, Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández will meet with Vice President Mike Pence, Secretary Rex Tillerson and Secretary John Kelly to request an extension of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Hondurans in the United States.
TPS, originally established in 1998, currently allows 60,000 Hondurans to live, study, work and travel legally in the United States. In 2016, Hondurans in this program sent approximately $4 billion back home in remittances, making TPS a key component of the Honduran economy.
The current TPS extension expires on January 5. At the conference, hosted in Miami from June 15-16, Hernández will present the case for renewal -- citing factors like poverty and climate change.
Other government officials and civil leaders from Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador, Mexico and the United States are also expected to participate in these discussions.
"In the past 18 years, TPS Hondurans have integrated into American society, built businesses and raised American children. We will continue our best efforts to achieve TPS renewal for them," said Hernández.
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SOURCE Republic of Honduras