The Central American United Student Association organized a Temporary Protective Status Teach-In Panel Monday evening as a part of CAUSA鈥檚 inaugural Central American Series. Moderated by Andrea Flores, assistant professor of education, the panel featured prominent community organizers who were invited to address a variety of issues related to TPS, including comprehensive immigration reform and intersectional immigration advocacy.
Created by the U.S. Congress in 1990, TPS is an immigration status that suspends the deportation of individuals from nations 鈥渄estabilized by war or catastrophe,鈥� as the Washington Post previously reported. The status, which lasts up to 18 months, provides foreign nationals with the ability to obtain 鈥渨ork authorization and a driver鈥檚 license,鈥� according to the Post. The Trump administration announced in January its decision not to renew TPS for Salvadorans, the largest group of TPS holders.
CAUSA chose to organize a teach-in on TPS because 鈥渙ur communities are being affected, they鈥檙e really struggling and we need to bring awareness to it,鈥� said Maryori Conde 鈥�18, who founded CAUSA in 2016. The lack of awareness on this issue extends even to lawmakers, she added. 鈥淲hen we call our Congress members, we always have to educate them on what TPS is because they never know what it is.鈥�
In today鈥檚 political climate, there is a need for a continued dialogue on this often overlooked issue, Conde said. 鈥淎 couple of us went to the (Save TPS National) Conference, and when we got back, we tried to get members from CAUSA and members from (the Brown Immigrant Rights Coalition) to continue the conversation,鈥� she added.
The invited panelists represented a diverse range of communities: Patrice Lawrence, the national policy and advocacy director for the UndocuBlack Network; Ninaj Raoul, the co-founder and community organizer at Haitian Women for Haitian Refugees; and Veronica Giron, a TPS-holder, activist and labor union representative. 鈥淥nly one of the panelists is Central American, one is Jamaican and one is Haitian. 鈥� They鈥檙e all part of the TPS alliance,鈥� Conde said, adding that TPS is a 鈥淐entral American narrative, but it鈥檚 not just a Central American issue.鈥�
During the event, the panelists stressed the importance of comprehensive immigration reform. Giron, who had Conde translate her words from Spanish into English, said that many TPS-holders seek security and certainty in the future of their immigration status. 鈥淚t鈥檚 good to be grateful, but know that it鈥檚 temporary. That鈥檚 why they call it Temporary Protected Status,鈥� Raoul said. People 鈥済et comfortable when they see that it鈥檚 extended over and over a few times,鈥� she added.
Raoul said the Trump administration鈥檚 recent to terminate TPS for Haitians made TPS holders realize 鈥渢hat it is important to start organizing for a more permanent solution.鈥�
After TPS ends for a specific country, the 鈥渆ntire community will lose their protection,鈥� Lawrence said. Community members will be unable to enter government buildings, health facilities and any locations requiring government identification for entrance.
The panelists also spoke about TPS from a humanitarian perspective, highlighting the uncertainty that families face from the program鈥檚 potential end. Because many families consist of members with different immigration statuses, the permanent termination of TPS would split them apart. 鈥淎 lot of families are (of) mixed-status, and there are continuously attacks to that,鈥� Lawrence said.
The panel also discussed the importance of education and activism. Raoul said it is important that TPS holders are given the platform to speak on their circumstances. 鈥淚n any movement, it has to be led by the people directly affected,鈥� she said.
These 鈥渉uman voices鈥� are necessary to educate the public and raise awareness, Raoul added.
The panelists encouraged attendees to look within their immediate communities for solidarity and strength. Effective activism means understanding the events unfolding locally and starting from the bottom to work upwards, Giron said.
鈥淛ust let people feel comfortable enough to know that they can come to you, and they can talk to you. It will be a slow process, and you won鈥檛 see the results right away. But it makes a world of difference,鈥� Lawrence said.
The TPS Teach-In Panel is one of two events in CAUSA鈥檚 Central American Series, with another event titled 鈥淪ocial Activism through Social Media鈥� on April 12. The series is both a celebration of Central American cultures and a display of resilience, Conde said.
