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     200,000 SALVADORANS TO LOSE PROTECTED STATUS IN SEPT. 2019
     This week, the Department of Homeland Security's Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen announced her decision that almost 200,000 Salvadorans with Temporary Protected Status (TPS) would lose their provisional residency permits after 18 months, giving Salvadorans with TPS until Sept. 9, 2019 to leave the U.S. or find a way to obtain a green card or alternative form of protection.  S alvadorans represent by far the largest number of TPS recipients.  Their loss of TPS risks their return to dire conditions of gang violence and acute food, housing, and water shortages.   Bills in both the House and Senate (including a bi-partisan House bill) have been introduced which could provide a legislative fix to continue protections.
 
    Please also note that 5,800 Syrian TPS recipients are next in line to receive a decision from DHS by January 30th about whether or not their Temporary Protected Status will be extended.  Stay tuned for further updates about how to help Syrian TPS recipients! And, Haitians with TPS (who were told late November their TPS status is ending, and they need to leave the U.S. by July 22, 2019) continue to await further procedures from USCIS to protect them until that time.  Our congregations are suffering greatly in these days!

HOW CAN WE ACT  TO SUPPORT SALVADORANS WITH TPS? 
1) Se e here a gathering of statements from Disciples leaders regarding Monday's decision by DHS related to TPS for Salvadorans. Please share and feel free to use these in your advocacy!:
https://www.discipleshomemissions.org/missions-advocacy/refugee-immigration-ministries/immigrants/temporary-protected-status-tps/

t o find regular updates regarding TPS background and advocacy for Salvadorans, Haitians, Syrians, Hondurans, and other populations.  And, find here stories and scriptures related to various TPS populations and themes:  https://www.discipleshomemissions.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Disciples-Epiphany-Living-the-Light-Devotions-for-2018v3.pdf.
 
3)  URGE the Administration to restore El Salvador's TPS designation, and REQUEST Congress to pass a permanent legislative solution for all  TPS holders.  Click 
for our Interfaith TPS Toolkit ,with lots of background information about what Temporary Protected Status is, stories of directly impacted individuals, talking points, fact sheets, sample op-eds and letters to the editor, and more!: 
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1PV_-eUBSkptDK77ilKD83jtebbpw4bHImjU7IiEIPu0/edit#heading=h.655wabtmuw05 
To call your Members of Congress, go  here: https://greateras1.org/take-action-today-  
After you fill in your information about your location, you will receive a phone call and then will be patched through so you can talk separately to the offices of your 2 U.S. Senators and 1 U.S. Representative.
Here's a sample statement of what you can say when you call:  
"I'm your constituent from (CITY/TOWN).  I support Temporary Protected Status for my Salvadoran neighbors, and I oppose the administration's recent decision to terminate it.  I urge you to do everything in your power to see that the administration reinstates TPS for El Salvador for another 18 months.  Please also make statements on the floor of Congress to support TPS holders.  I call upon you to demonstrate bold leadership and to support a permanent, legislative solution that can protect all TPS holders from being separated from their families.  My faith community, my town, and my work partners welcomes immigrants, and I urge you to also show your American values of compassion and welcome."   

4 ) Track these TPS related bills, which have been introduced in both the U.S. House and Senate.  You can g o to: https://www.congress.gov/search?q=%7B%22source%22%3A%22legislation%22%7D , and search by bill number to find out which legislators are signed on. 
House, Bipartisan--H.R.4384--ASPIRE Act, by Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) & Clarke (D-NY)
House--H.R. 4253, American Promise Act, by Velazquez (D-NY)
Senate--S.2144, SECURE Act, by VanHollen (D-MD), Cardin (D-MD), Feinstein (D-CA). (Same as Velazguez bill.)  Read further descriptions of various bill options here:

5) Join our  TPS Virtual Prayer Chain NOW and share messages on #Faith4TPS to link prayers with TPS holders and give witness to your support for their families.  Go here to view instructions, and see sample posts and graphics for use: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1PV_-eUBSkptDK77ilKD83jtebbpw4bHImjU7IiEIPu0/edit?usp=sharing.  Be sure to use the hashtag #Faith4TPS, and tag our Disciples Refugee and Immigration Ministries (@StanleyRea) and the Interfaith Immigration Coalition (@interfaithimm).  Be sure to tweet at your Members of Congress and @realDonaldTrump.
   Here is a sample tweet you can send: "@Legislator I urge you to support TPS for El Salvador, and to find a permanent legislative solution for all TPS holders #Faith4TPS".  
   Here is a sample Facebook post: "I am a constituent from [your town/district] and I stand in solidarity with my Salvadoran TPS holder neighbors, and urge congress and the administration to restore the TPS designation for El Salvador. My community welcomes and values immigrants, and we want a permanent legislative solution that protects all TPS holders to be passed". 

6)  Raise your faith voice to write an op-ed  or Letter to the Editor.  
For  help, please reach out to communications specialists Wardah and Bilal at  [email protected] . See here for samples, and much more information:
 
7) Hold a Prayer Vigil or Press Conference for TPS recipients ASAP in your area,
and demonstrate your support for your neighbors!  Call attention to the increasing removals of protections being faced by Haitian, Honduran, Salvadoran, and other TPS recipients in recent months!  Talk about the need for a legislative solution to permanently protect TPS recipients, and see sample talking points and key contributions of TPS recipients here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1fIF6so2SXTQFVvimggUmEWLSAGNKFQtNfZhVXksj1go/edit?usp=sharing

FOR MORE BACKGROUND AND HELP:
--See #SaveTPS images here to use in raising up concerns re: social media:   https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1pEzov3klX2hFWDZ1xlbJ3FsgeU6e7q4X  
--See these P ress Release Guidelines and Template for TPS Termination: https://cliniclegal.org/resources/press-release-guidelines-and-template-tps-termination
--Continue to share our TPS Interfaith Toolkit at: http://www.interfaithimmigration.org/issues/tps/
--Go here : https://www.discipleshomemissions.org/missions-advocacy/refugee-immigration-ministries/refugees/background-resources/haitian-tps/ to read the story of just one of our Haitian church members with TPS in New York.
--If you or others in your community are TPS recipients, and have legal questions about how to maintain their status, contact our Disciples Legal Immigration Counsel, Tana Liu-Beers, at: [email protected] or  https://www.disciplesimmigration.org .

For advocacy questions, contact: Rev. Dr. Sharon Stanley-Rea, Disciples Refugee & Immigration Ministries, [email protected], 202-957-7826.

Thanks for raising your voice and values of faith to support immigrants and refugees, and for answering the call to  "open your mouths to defend the rights...of the needy." (Proverbs 31:8)

Rev. Dr. Sharon Stanley-Rea,  Director, Disciples Refugee & Immigration Ministries (RIM)
Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the U.S. & Canada,  202-957-7826 (cell),  s [email protected] ,  5 Thomas Circle NW, Washington, DC  20005
(2nd floor, National City Christian Church)
RIM is a ministry of Disciples Home Missions