Washington, D.C. | www.adc.org | July 5, 2018 – Today, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued a decision to renew Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Yemen. TPS was extended for 18 months and allows only current TPS beneficiaries to renew their TPS status. Individuals from Yemen with TPS will be eligible to re-register for an extension of their status for 18 months through March 3, 2020. ADC will follow-up with the community on more details for renewing registration when they are finalized by DHS.
Unfortunately DHS did not redesignate TPS for Yemen. This means that Yemeni nationals who arrived to the U.S. after January 4, 2017 will not be eligible to apply for TPS. The decision to extend TPS for Yemen but not redesignate is a failure by our government to recognize the humanitarian crisis in Yemen in pursuit of an anti-immigrant agenda. The line between extension and designation is very fine. As was the case with TPS for Syria, it defies common sense to renew TPS but not redesingate it.
The fact that even Yemen — with its ongoing armed conflict — does not meet this Administration’s standard under the law for providing safe haven to vulnerable populations means that there is no meaningful standard left. The families that arrived in the U.S. after the deadline are no less vulnerable to the harm acknowledged by DHS if returned than the TPS protected families that arrived before them.
Yemeni nationals seeking safe haven in the U.S. are not here as a choice, but as a necessity for survival. Yemen has been in a constant state of war for over four years. It is beyond cruel to ship mothers, fathers, and children to a country plagued by what the United Nations Secretary-General has labeled the world’s worst humanitarian crisis. In Yemen, there are over 8 million people on the brink of famine, 3 million people internally displaced, over 16,000 people have been killed, the deadly Cholera infection remains rampant, and civilians are targeted constantly.
ADC remains committed to protecting Yemeni nationals that have sought refuge in the U.S. We will continue to work with the Yemeni community to advocate for Yemeni nationals and to assist individuals in renewing their TPS registration. Should you need additional information about TPS for Yemen, please email the ADC Legal Department to legal@adc.org.