On April 26, the Department of Homeland Security officially announced it would end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Nepalis in the United States, pulling the rug out from under 9,000 American lives. This decision--further proof of the Trump administration’s racist, anti-immigrant, deportation agenda--comes at a time when immigrant communities are already facing unprecedented levels of violence as a result of state sanctioned policies.
The decision to end TPS for Nepal signifies a deeper rot of American aspirations for equality and justice. It underscores the 302 incidents of violence and xenophobic political rhetoric SAALT tracked against South Asian, Muslim, Sikh, Hindu, Middle Eastern, and Arab American communities during the first year of the Trump administration. It follows in the footsteps of the ruthless termination of TPS status in the last few months for Sudan, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Haiti, and temporary extension but not re-designation for Syria. It echoes the decision to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, placing 800,000 lives at risk, the legislative targeting of family reunification disproportionately disparaging South Asian immigrants, and the continued insistence on reinforcing border and airport “security†while turning a blind eye to the white-supremacist violence ripping our communities apart. SAALT’s 2018 report finds that all signs point to Washington D.C. where hate reigns supreme, and policies continue to be based not on facts, ethics, or ideals, but on racism, discrimination, and xenophobia.
Condemning the decision to end TPS for Nepal, Suman Raghunathan, Executive Director of South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT), had this to say: “The announcement by the Department of Homeland Security to end Temporary Protected Status for 9,000 Nepali immigrants in the United States is heartless at best, and destructive at worst, and demonstrates the Trump administration’s unrelenting commitment to targeting immigrant communities. 9,000 Nepalis with TPS have built lives, raised families and developed roots here. It is unacceptable to summarily eject them from their homes. We call on Congress to protect Nepali immigrant communities by passing legislation to create a permanent solution for Nepali TPS holders that allows them to remain in the U.S. It is unquestionably the right thing to do.â€
We urge you to support the work of our partners at Adhikaar, a New-York based non-profit working with the Nepali speaking community to promote human rights and social justice for all. Adhikaar’s recent action alert asks everyone to contact Congress now and demand a permanent, legislative fix for all TPS holders by passing the American Promise Act in the House and the SECURE Act in the Senate. Our communities deserve real leadership.
