GuatemalaTPS.Info

Our thanks go out to one of our commenters, Pablo, for sharing a link to a Univision story covering Guatemala’s renewal of its TPS request. In short, the Guatemalan government has asked that last year’s request for Temporary Protected Status be revived in light of the recent disasters that have hit the country.

This year’s earthquakes and other disasters have put an incredible strain on an already-struggling country, leading to a humanitarian crisis. In these conditions, it is perfectly reasonable for the United States to extend the most basic immigration relief to Guatemalan nationals already here.

While we have been down this road before (just last year), hope springs eternal, and we can pray that the upcoming election will have a positive effect on TPS’s chances this time around.

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It has been a very long time since we have heard anything new about Guatemala’s TPS request, and many people have given up hope. Many perhaps, but not everyone. California Assemblymember Norma Torres was scheduled to give a speech at a town hall meeting last night specifically dedicated to the Guatemalan TPS request.

We just found out about the meeting this morning, which is unfortunate, as we would have happily shared the news and encouraged all of our L.A.-area friends to attend and support the meeting. Nonetheless, we appreciate Assemblymember Torres’s dedication and unflagging support of this issue, and hope that her office will be able to provide us with a copy of her speech to share with everyone here.

If you went to the town hall last night, please leave a comment below and let us know what you thought.

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In a sign that foreign interest in relief efforts from this spring’s Guatemalan disasters hasn’t disappeared, the World Bank on Friday approved a” US$100 million loan to provide emergency assistance to preserve health and education services in Guatemala following this series of natural disasters, which caused an estimated US$1.55 billion in damages and losses (4.1 percent of the nation’s GDP).” In addition to showing a continuing commitment to assisting Guatemala’s recovery, the new loan is a clear reminder of the continuing need for further aid.

Perhaps this loan can serve to help return Guatemala’s request for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) the Obama Administration’s attention. While the World Bank certainly uses its own criteria and has no official influence on US policy, it is our hope that this latest example of support by a globally respected institution will help guide the administration to the right decision.

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US Congressman Al Green (D-Texas) introduced a new bill yesterday to grant TPS to Pakistan following the dramatic floods that struck that country this summer.  While we certainly support the bill (indeed, the link above is to our sister blog, which dedicated to the Pakistani TPS request), we have to express our disappointment that the Guatemalan request has not seen the same kind of Congressional support.

The only Congressional action in support of Guatemala’s request has been House Resolution 1462, which was introduced in June and has been languishing in silence since July. The resolution is quite different from today’s bill, in that it is merely an expression of support for the people of Guatemala and not an actual law granting TPS.  It is incredible that our Congress was unable to pass even this meek resolution, and that it has stood by so silently with no action in support of Guatemala.

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Arturo A. Valenzuela, El  Asistente Secretario de Estado para Los Asuntos del Hemisferio Occidental, esta previsto que se reúna con el Presidente Colom hoy durante el segundo día de su visita de dos días a Guatemala.  La visita es parte de la gira de cinco días que Sr. Valenzuela esta haciendo de Honduras, Guatemala y El Salvador.  Es un viaje que está “diseñado para discutir la cooperación de seguridad en curso, fortalecimiento de la gobernabilidad democrática y renovados esfuerzos para promover la coordinación sobre seguridad ciudadana.”

Si bien no ha habido ninguna mención oficial de TPS asociado con este viaje, esperamos que el asunto sea debatido durante la reunión de hoy.  Manténgase en contacto para cualquier acontecimiento.

NOTICIAS DE ULTIMA HORA (4: 01 PM PST): Sr. Valenzuela ha completado su reunión con el Presidente Colom y el jefe de la CICG, Francisco Dall’Anese.  La reunión aparentemente centrada en cuestiones graves de seguridad, crimen y la impunidad, cosas serias en Guatemala hoy.  Aún, no se han producido anuncios oficiales de las discusiones relacionados con el TPS.

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