More than 900,000 immigrants have permission to live and work in our country today through a form of humanitarian relief called Temporary Protected Status (TPS). Since 1990, TPS has been granted to people from countries embroiled in violent conflict or suffering from a natural disaster so that they will not be returned to harm’s way. As the name implies, TPS is not a grant of permanent legal status. Rather, TPS beneficiaries receive provisional protection against deportation and permission to work in the United States for a limited period of time. They must renew their TPS status at least every 18 months and undergo security screening with each renewal.
The majority of TPS beneficiaries have been contributing to our communities and our economy for years and even decades, but their status is now at risk. As unions continue to push Congress to enact a long-overdue path to citizenship, we will also fight to protect TPS-holders and their families.