City Council still stands by Temporary Protected Status

Last year, the City Council voted to support TPS and urge Congress to reconsider the policy change.

President Donald Trump's administration announced plans to eliminate Temporary Protected Status (TPS), an immigration policy that allowed hundreds of thousands of people from Haiti, El Salvador, Nicaragua and Honduras to come to the United States. Many of the program's beneficiaries who have come here and have started lives and families are being forced to leave.

Advocates from Centro Presente, an organization focused on immigrant rights, worker rights, and civic engagement, gathered at City Hall alongside the City Council, the Mayor and other elected officials to protest the Trump administration's termination of TPS for immigrants from El Salvador, the most recent group to have their status terminated.

Councilor Zakim mentioned working with Centro Presente when he first took office in 2014 to talk about the Boston Trust Act and try to make sure people - no matter where they came from - felt safe in our City. He said, “Since President Trump took office he continues to create policies based on nothing but cruelty, nothing but discrimination, divisiveness – attacks on our communities here in Boston and across the country. The non-renewal of TPS is unacceptable.”

According to an article on Mass Live, “Temporary Protected Status has benefitted Salvadorans more than any other group. In Massachusetts, there are roughly 12,000 TPS recipients and 6,000 Salvadorans. Boston is home to 2,000 of those Salvadorans. Many live in East Boston, a neighborhood that has historically been home to immigrant populations.”

East Boston Councilor Edwards had a message for the City’s recipients of TPS saying, “As politicians we are all called to serve, serve you especially, serve the the folks who need our voice. I wanted to make sure that you understand that not only am I here, but all of my colleagues are here to serve you. Call our offices, comes to us. We are standing united with you in total solidarity.”

Last year, the Council voted to support TPS and urge Congress to reconsider the policy change.