November 8th, 2017

WASHINGTON— On November 6th, the Department of Homeland Security announced that it needs more time to assess country conditions before rendering a final decision on Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Honduras, thereby automatically extending the current TPS designation for Honduras for six months, through July 5, 2018. TPS is a temporary, renewable, and statutorily authorized humanitarian migration program that permits individuals to remain and work lawfully in the U.S. during a period in which it is deemed unsafe for nationals of that country to return home. There are an estimated 57,000 Hondurans in the U.S. with TPS.

Bishop Joe S. Vásquez of Austin, Texas, Chairman of Committee on Migration (USCCB/COM), issued the following statement:

“I appreciate that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is seriously evaluating country conditions in Honduras. The automatic extension while DHS continues its evaluation is the right thing to do for the Honduran TPS recipients living in the United States, for the continued prosperity and growth of Honduras, and for the security in the region. DHS should take this time to vigorously look at conditions on the ground in Honduras, to comprehensively note the existing violence and security threats to citizens, the nascent but growing protection infrastructure, the ongoing poverty, and the environmental degradation that continue to exist in Honduras. Our recent report “Temporary Protected Status: A Vital Piece of the Central American Protection and Prosperity Puzzle,” highlights such concerns. As DHS continues this process, we pledge continued engagement, information gathering, and cooperation with both the U.S. government and our Catholic partners in Honduras who provide extensive social welfare services in partnership with the U.S. and Honduran government.

While appreciative of DHS’s attention to this issue, my continued thoughts and prayers are with Honduran TPS recipients and their families who still face uncertainty in their situation here in the United States. I also support efforts in Congress to work in a bipartisan manner to find a legislative solution for long-term TPS recipients.

TPS recipients have deep ties to our communities, parishes, and country. They are businesses owners, successful professionals, home owners, parents of U.S. citizen children, and most importantly, children of God. We must find a solution for these individuals and their families, and we stand ready to support Congress in its effort to do so.”