That, Mr. Speaker, brings me to the topic of tonight's Special Order
hour. I want to start by dispelling the myth that the temporary
protected status designation poses a threat to America's security. The
truth is that TPS holders are rigorously vetted before entering the
country, and they go through stringent background checks before each
TPS renewal. Mr. Speaker, the TPS designation is a part of our national character,
and it must be protected. What do I mean by that? We are a compassionate people, aren't we--a compassionate nation? The Americans I know are proud to live in a country that is free and
prosperous enough to extend a helping hand to those in need. The TPS
designation does just that. TPS is a helping hand that reaches out past our national borders to
lift people out of the depths of despair brought on by natural
disaster, violence, or turmoil. Yet the administration is reportedly
planning to remove the TPS designation for nationals of several Latin
American and Caribbean countries. This is really bad news for the
United States. First, ending the TPS designation for nationals of Haiti, El
Salvador, and Honduras will destabilize communities in the United
States proper. TPS holders own small businesses. They pay taxes. They
take out mortgages. They fill jobs that we rely on every day in
construction; hospitality; restaurants; landscaping; and elder care, in
particular. Ending TPS designations mean ripping people out of their communities
and local economies. Businesses will shutter. Essential jobs, like
disaster cleanup, will go unfilled. The national economy will suffer a
$164 billion loss in gross domestic product. Without TPS holders from Haiti, El Salvador, and Honduras, New Jersey
will lose $864 million from its GDP. My State cannot handle that
burden. Second, ending TPS designations for Haiti, El Salvador, and Honduras
will tear apart families of color. Many TPS holders have lawfully lived
in the United States for more than a decade. They have established
their families here. They are parents to 270,000 U.S. citizens. In New
Jersey, 8,800 U.S. citizens were born to TPS holders from Haiti, El
Salvador, and Honduras. Forcing TPS holders to leave the country means forcing them to leave
their families. Hundreds of thousands of U.S. citizens will have to say
good-bye to their parents and grandparents. People will be forced to
return to countries that are still suffering from the problems that led
them to the TPS designation in the first place. Third, removing the TPS designation for nationals from Haiti, El
Salvador, and Honduras will threaten security throughout Latin America
and the Caribbean. These small countries are still suffering from
disasters, public health crises, and political instability. The sudden influx of 300,000 additional people has the potential to
destabilize national governments and threaten security throughout the
region. Mr. Speaker, in 2015, 2016, and 2017, I led the effort to get the TPS
designation for Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone. These countries were
reeling from public health and infrastructure
emergencies. They faced an existential threat from the Ebola virus, and
the American people lent a helping hand by giving them temporary
protected status. I have had no doubt that authorizing nationals from
those West African countries to enter the United States saved lives; no
doubt whatsoever. Mr. Speaker, we must not abandon our national character to the
cynical call of ``America first.'' The TPS designation does not weaken
us. It strengthens us by showing the world that the United States is
morally worthy of its status as a superpower. Rolling back the TPS program is bad policy, it is bad politics, and
it is immoral. If the United States turns its back on those in need,
what have we the people become?
Keywords matched
temporary
protected status TPS