Speech #CREC-2017-11-13-pt1-PgH9160_t11

In Haiti, forcing the return of 50,000 people would disrupt the fragile recovery, exacerbate the food, housing, and public health crises, and potentially destabilize the new government. In El Salvador and Honduras, the return of over 250,000 people would strain government services and lead to job displacement in countries besieged by violence, narcotics trafficking and weak institutions. The revocation of TPS will further destabilize fragile countries in our neighborhood. With remittances making up more than 15% of the GDP of TPS-designated countries, the sudden loss will put an added strain on the U.S. foreign aid budget while families who have long relied on this source of income will have no other option than to attempt to come to the U.S. as undocumented workers. That's why Congress must act without delay to pass CHC-endorsed bill by Rep. Nydia Velazquez--the American Promise Act--would ensure individuals who have resided in the U.S. under these programs for a period of three years can remain in the country and pursue a path to naturalization. 2) TPS Revocation Is Not in America's National Interest: Americans with Temporary Protected Status (TPS) are hardworking individuals who are contributing to our economy, our communities and our industries. TPS recipients have passed numerous criminal background checks and have often been living in the U.S. for over a decade. With more than 300,000 TPS beneficiaries expecting a Trump Administration decision on their fate, and some 800,000 DACA beneficiaries depending on Congressional action to shape their futures, we are entering a stretch of time that will be of huge consequence to 1.1 million immigrants who are deeply rooted and legally present in America. Regardless of how you might feel about the policy, TPS holders from these countries have been in legal limbo for at least 16 years. They are perhaps the most vetted, legally present, and work authorized community in our country. They have submitted to numerous criminal background checks, once every 18 months. Life has gone on for these folks--they have families here, are contributing to our economy, and our communities. There are an estimated that 273,000 U.S.-born children in the country have parents with TPS. Economic, legal, and policy experts have highlighted the disastrous economic impacts of revoking Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for hundreds of thousands of Americans, as country-specific deadlines loom. 3) Positive Economic Impacts of TPS Approximately 250,000 TPS recipients are currently employed-- approximately 94% of men and 82% of women. The average TPS recipient works between 40-45 hours per week. Given the length of time on the job, many of these workers are senior, specialized and not easily replaceable such as construction site supervisors and nursing home professionals. The five leading industries that would face mass layoffs are construction (50,000+), restaurants and other food services (32,000+), landscaping services (15,000+), child day care services (10,000) and grocery stores (9,000+). The mass layoffs of 250,000 TPS recipients would cost employers approximately $967 million in immediate turnover costs. The revocation of TPS status would cost the U.S. an estimated $164 billion in Gross Domestic Product. Revocation of TPS status would result in a loss of $6.9 billion in Social Security and Medicare payments over a decade. Given that 30% of TPS recipients are homeowners, the consequences of simultaneously dumping 60,000 mortgages could disrupt housing markets across the country including Texas (13,000 mortgages), Florida (5,000+ mortgages) and Virginia (4,100 mortgages). Mass deportations of TPS recipients would cost taxpayers more than $3 billion dollars.