Washington, DC – Following the devastation and humanitarian disaster suffered by the Philippines as a result of Typhoon Haiyan, Senators Ben Cardin (D-MD), Chairman of the SFRC Subcommittee on East Asian and Pacific Affairs, and Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Chairman of the SFRC, were joined by colleagues in calling on President Obama’s administration to grant Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to Filipino nationals currently residing in the United States and to consider additional avenues of relief for certain Filipinos with U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident family members in the U.S. TPS is granted to foreign nationals who cannot safely return to their native country. “Typhoon Haiyan has wrought unparalleled destruction and tragic loss of life in the Philippines,” the Senators wrote. “Victims of Typhoon Haiyan clearly meet the eligibility requirements for TPS, and we urge you to extend this designation as soon as possible. The United States has demonstrated its commitment to assisting the Philippines with the recovery effort through foreign aid, military assistance and relief supplies, but we must also assist the victims’ families in whatever way possible.” A complete copy of the letter is available here. The letter was also signed by Senators Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Orrin Hatch (R-UT), John McCain (R-AZ), Harry Reid (D-NV), Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Mary Landrieu (D-LA), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Ben Cardin (D-MD), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY),Chris Coons (D-DL), Mark Kirk (R-IL), Marco Rubio (R-FL), Dean Heller (R-NV), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Ed Markey (D-MA), Cory Booker (D-NJ). Currently, the United States grants Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, Nicaragua, Somalia, Sudan and South Sudan, and Syria. As the program is designed, TPS would only be available to Filipinos already living in the United States who pass a background check and meet related eligibility requirements.
Posted on: Mon, 25 Nov 2013 19:22:14 +0000
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