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Contact: Beth Frigola
(202) 225-4236
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Smith Expresses Concern over Administration’s TPS Policy
Washington,
Feb 24, 2006 -
Congressman Lamar Smith (TX-21) today offered the following statement on the Administration’s decision to once again extend Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for persons from El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua:
“Yesterday’s extension of TPS is evidence that the Administration is not serious about ensuring ‘temporary’ immigrants return to their home countries after a defined period.
“These countries were designated for TPS in 1999 and 2001 after a hurricane and an earthquake made them temporarily unsafe to live. These natural disasters happened over seven and five years ago.
“Some of these individuals have been in the United States for up to seven years because their ‘temporary’ status has been repeatedly extended.
The federal government just can’t say ‘no’ when there are requests to remain in the country.
“Calling this status ‘temporary’ makes a mockery of America’s immigration policies.
“Unfortunately, the word temporary is used all too often in America’s immigration debate, but never really means anything but ‘permanent.’
“I am concerned that the same thing will ring true for the Administration’s temporary worker program.”
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