With just days left before the March 19th deadline to renew Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Salvadoran and Haitian recipients, the New York Immigration Coalition (NYIC) and its service provider partners have launched the RenewNOW! Campaign to renew immediately.
The campaign also pushes for recipients of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), to renew as soon as possible as well, while the window remains open pending standing injunctions in federal courts that temporarily prevent the cancellation of the program. As a reminder, only those who currently have or have previously had DACA can renew. No first-time applications are being accepted at this time.
In a press call hosted by the NYIC on Tuesday, Inmaculada Oliva, a TPS recipient from El Salvador living in Port Jefferson, told reporters that because of the program, she was able to obtain a driver’s license, a car, health insurance, which all helped her support her children.
“If TPS ended, it would put my life in disarray because I would be shut out of opportunities and worst of all, be at risk of deportation,” Oliva said.
More than 30,000 TPS recipients live in New York State, including 16,200 Salvadorans, 4,600 Hondurans, and 5,200 Haitians. Economically, $958.3 million would be lost from state GDP each year without Salvadoran workers with TPS. The potential loss from Haitian workers with TPS amounts to $262.9 million.
“Now more than ever, we are reaching out to DACA and TPS recipients with a clear message: do not wait; apply right now to renew your status. Trump’s almost daily attacks on various immigration programs have created confusion and uncertainty, but our service providers are ready to help DACA and TPS recipients renew now to avoid falling through the cracks and becoming undocumented. Immigrants are essential to the fabric of our New York,” said Steven Choi, executive director of the NYIC.
The NYIC urges everyone with TPS, DACA, or other immigration legal concerns to consult an attorney and send in materials via mail with a method that is trackable.
Locally, CARECEN and Catholic Charities are assisting people with renewing their TPS. Both organizations charge a fee for this service. CARECEN may be reached at 516-489-8330 in Nassau and 516-273-8721 in Suffolk. Catholic Charities may be contacted at 631-789-5210.
Individuals can also get a legal consultation by calling the New York State Office of New Americans (ONA) hotline at 1-800-566-7636.
