by Kevin SeraaJ, Orlando Advocate | Given the dangerous conditions in particularly vulnerable African countries, immigration advocates have issued a call for the Biden administration to focus attention on the need to designate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Mali, Mauritania, the DRC, Nigeria, Sudan and all African countries meeting the statutory grounds for relief. Proponents are calling for humanitarian protection and deportation relief from the administration during a number of advocacy activities during the week of May 22.
Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.); Rep. Yvette Clarke (D-N.Y.); Rep. Glenn Ivey (D-Md.); Diana Konaté, Africans Communities Together; Nils Kinuani, Congolese Community of Washington Metropolitan; Haddy Gassama, UndocuBlack Network; and Gbenga Ogunjimi of the Nigerian Center will all be on hand tomorrow, Thursday, May 25, at a 11 a.m. press conference to make this urgent plea.
The event will be held at the House Triangle, outside of the U.S. House of Representatives, located on the grounds of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., near the northwest corner of 1st St. SE and Independence Ave. SE. Map
Members of the press desiring to attend are encouraged to RSVP via email to rramirez@fwdshift.com
As advocates making the case for TPS have stated in their letters to the administration, Secretary Mayorkas and the Biden administration must prioritize equity in the consideration of TPS instead of racial bias. Advocates say they have made a clear case for TPS based on the conditions on the ground and how they align with statutory language behind TPS. (See the letters for Mali, Mauritania, the DRC, Nigeria, and Sudan.)
Also on On May 25 at African Communities Together’s Washington, D.C. office at 1:30 p.m., advocates and leaders will hold a roundtable sharing information with community members to amplify the calls for TPS. This event will lend itself to listen to testimonies and perspectives from impacted leaders, community members, and advocates alike. The address for the event is 700 Pennsylvania Ave. SE, 7th Floor, Washington, DC (livestream link will be available).
African Communities Together (ACT) is a national nonprofit dedicated towards improving the lives of African immigrants in the United States, and empowers African immigrants to integrate socially, advance economically and engage civically.
The TPS-DED AAC is a national coalition of more than 100 organizations with deep expertise in law and policy surrounding TPS and DED. Member organizations range from community-based organizations directly serving impacted communities in the United States to international NGOs, working in and providing insight from affected countries.
