AFTER TPS REDESIGNATION FOR VENEZUELA, NYC PUBLIC ADVOCATE PUSHES FOR ADDITIONAL FEDERAL AGENDA

 

Following the Biden administration’s announcement last night that Temporary Protected Status (TPS) would be re-designated for Venezuela, New York City Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams celebrated the step while reiterating the need for additional actions from the federal government to support asylum, which he has highlighted in two successive Days of Action this year in Washington, D.C. 

“The extension and expansion of TPS has been one of our highest priorities for supporting asylum seekers, both in our trips to DC and here in the city,” said Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams on the announcement. “We’re grateful that President Biden and the White House heeded our calls alongside the voices of so many, especially our newest New Yorkers. This announcement will provide relief and opportunity for so many who have come here, seeking asylum and wanting to work. It’s a big step, but also a baseline that we hope signals more action and support from Washington moving forward.”

Renewing and expanding Temporary Protected Status has been a key element of the Public Advocate’s federal agenda for asylum seekers, and was a primary focus of his most recent advocacy at the White House, as well as his previous meetings with Congressional leaders. After this latest announcement, the Public Advocate is continuing to push for further federal actions – including the extension of TPS to immigrants from several additional nations. 

The Public Advocate’s federal agenda to support migrants in New York City and beyond includes the declaration of a federal emergency, expedited work authorization processes, and the expansion of language access programs. He has also long called for legal support services to help migrants access these services and process asylum claims, and for the federal and state governments to coordinate infrastructure for a decompression strategy of serving asylum seekers in locations across the state and country.

See the Public Advocate’s federal agenda for asylum seekers from his July meeting with the White House below, and more about his April advocacy with Congressional leadership here. 

Declaration of a Federal Emergency 

• Establish FEMA-supported direct temporary housing sites for asylum seekers including but not limited to Transportable Temporary Housing Units or Manufactured Housing Units. 

Expedition of Work Authorization for Asylum Seekers 

• United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) must amend rules and policies and reduce the current 180-day waiting period for work authorization to reduce case backlogs for asylum seekers.
• The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Department of Labor (DOL) must track cases of unaccompanied migrant minors that are placed in unsafe work conditions, prioritize child welfare and removal from exploitative practices, and provide minors with identification documentation where possible.

Renewal and Expansion of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) 

• Issuance of new TPS designations, redesignations, and extensions to immigrants from countries experiencing security, political, and/or economic conflict, natural disasters, and health crises. 
• Instatement, redesignation, or extension of TPS for the Democratic Republic of Congo, Cameroon, Mali, Mauritania, Nigeria, South Sudan, Sudan, Guatemala, Lebanon, Venezuela, and Pakistan among others.

Expansion of Language Access

• Ensure asylum seekers with limited-English proficiency have an interpreter to translate materials through the asylum process by implementing updated agency language access plans.
• Provide interpretation and translation services in Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Department of Justice (DOJ) immigration court proceedings. 
• Ensure the Government Accountability Office stresses the importance of agencies efficiently using their budget to create meaningful language access across services such as interpreters and in-language materials.