NIJC Welcomes Redesignation of TPS for Venezuelans
The National Immigrant Justice Center (NIJC) welcomes the extension and redesignation of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Venezuelans who have been in the United States since July 31, 2023.
The Department of Homeland Security on Friday previewed a Federal Register notice, scheduled for publication on October 3, which will implement the program.
NIJC Executive Director Mary Meg McCarthy responded to the announcement with the following statement:
“Increasing access to TPS for Venezuelans is an important first step toward alleviating some of the hardship people have experienced after coming to the United States to seek asylum. The ability to apply for work authorization will provide individuals and families some financial stability and an opportunity to work toward more permanent legal protection.
“There is more the administration should be doing, including expanding TPS to Venezuelans who have arrived more recently, as well as to people from other countries who also have been forced to leave their homes to escape unsafe conditions, including persecution. Most importantly, the administration must restore the U.S. asylum system and stop implementing policies that block people from seeking protection. Arriving in the United States and requesting protection is both a ‘lawful pathway’ and a human right.”
NIJC legal services for TPS applicants
NIJC offers the following legal services for recently arrived TPS and asylum applicants in the Chicago area and Indiana:
- TPS consultations: NIJC’s Immigrant Legal Defense Project will offer consultations for TPS applicants. To schedule an appointment, call 312-660-1370 between 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.
- Fact sheet on the difference between TPS and asylum status: Many people who qualify for TPS may also be afraid of returning to their home countries for reasons that could form an asylum claim. Read NIJC’s fact sheet on what to consider when deciding whether to apply for asylum, TPS, or both.
- NIJC asylum clinics: NIJC continues to offer asylum clinics for people of any nationality who arrived in the Chicago area in the past year. Register by completing an online eligibility form on NIJC’s website.