WASHINGTON, DC — The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced today it is automatically extending the validity of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) protections for individuals from El Salvador, Haiti, Nicaragua, Sudan, Honduras and Nepal for nine months through October 4, 2021, from the current expiration date of January 4, 2021. The notice ensures compliance with various court orders issued by federal district courts that require DHS to maintain the TPS designations for certain countries.

FWD.us President Todd Schulte issued the following statement:

“Hundreds of thousands of people who have spent decades building their lives in the United States will be able to sleep easier tonight knowing that they can remain together with their families in the country they call home. While a temporary extension of TPS protections is welcome news, it is nowhere near the permanent protection from deportation that these families deserve.

“For far too long, TPS holders and their families have been suspended in legal limbo, faced with the ongoing threat of being deported back to dangerous conditions. Thousands are serving our nation as essential frontline workers in the fight against the coronavirus crisis, helping to save American lives and aiding in our country’s response and recovery. They are our friends, neighbors, and colleagues, and deserve to remain safely in the United States.

“The Biden Administration has promised fundamental reform centered on a pathway to citizenship for TPS holders, Dreamers and the 11 million undocumented immigrants who have contributed to our country for decades. They must prioritize repairing our badly broken immigration system from day one of the new administration so millions of families can remain together, and finally get the peace of mind they deserve.”