‘A welcomed relief’: Levine Cava embraces TPS extension for some Central American immigrants

Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava welcomed on Tuesday evening the extension of Temporary Protected Status for approximately 337,000 immigrants from El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua and Nepal.

Temporary Protected Status, or TPS, allows immigrants from designated countries in distress due to civil war, natural disasters and other extraordinary conditions to legally stay and work in the United States for a limited period.

Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas announced earlier on Tuesday his decision to rescind the terminations of the TPS designations of El Salvador, Honduras, Nepal and Nicaragua, reversing a Trump-era decree that attempted to revoke the humanitarian protections. Mayorkas extended the TPS designations for 18 months each.

Levine Cava said in a news release that the announcement is a “welcomed relief for thousands of families who have come to Miami-Dade County escaping dictatorships, natural disasters and human rights violations.”

“As home to some of the largest communities of TPS holders in Florida and the nation, our county benefits when immigrants can live free from fear of deportation, fully participate in our community and contribute to our economy,” she said.

The mayor urged the administration of President Joe Biden to include additional Nicaraguans under the TPS designation.

“Such is the case for Nicaraguans who came after their initial TPS was designated in 1999, as the political crisis has continued to intensify at the hands of a repressive regime that continues to threaten democracy and safety,” she said. “Redesignating TPS will help thousands of families find stability as they continue to build new lives here in our community.”

“For thousands of people, going back now would sentence them to live under authoritarian governments or economies crippled due to natural disasters and the pandemic.”

TPS extension dates

Here are the new TPS extensions:

▪ El Salvador for 18 months, from Sept. 10, 2023, through March 9, 2025;

▪ Honduras for 18 months, from Jan. 6, 2024, through July 5, 2025;

▪ Nepal for 18 months, from Dec. 25, 2023, through June 24, 2025; and

▪ Nicaragua for 18 months, from Jan. 6, 2024, through July 5, 2025.

Do you need help with your TPS application?

Miami-Dade County will continue supporting TPS-eligible families on their application process by partnering with local nonprofits to host information sessions and free legal clinics. For more information, visit miamidade.gov/newamericans.