Democrat pushes new immigration bill to give Temporary Protected Status holders Green Cards
WASHINGTON, DC: A Democratic lawmaker has introduced new legislation aimed at offering long-term holders of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) a pathway to permanent residency in the United States.
Representative Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick unveiled the “Respect for Essential Workers Act,” which would allow eligible TPS recipients to apply for lawful permanent resident status, commonly known as a green card.
Democrat proposes green card for Temporary Protected Status holders
The proposed legislation would not grant green cards automatically but would allow qualifying TPS holders, particularly those classified as essential workers, to begin the application process after a set period.
It would also seek to prevent deportation of eligible TPS recipients while their status is under review.
TPS is a humanitarian programme that allows nationals from countries affected by conflict, natural disasters or other crises to live and work in the US temporarily, without providing a direct route to citizenship.
Trump seeks to terminate TPS protections
The bill comes as the administration of Donald Trump moves to terminate TPS protections for nationals from multiple countries, including Haiti, Venezuela, Afghanistan and Syria, putting large numbers of migrants at risk of deportation.
Those moves have triggered legal challenges and political pushback. In early March, a US appeals court blocked an attempt to revoke protections for more than 350,000 Haitians, underscoring the ongoing legal uncertainty surrounding the programme.
TPS currently covers hundreds of thousands of people in the United States, many of whom have lived in the country for years and work in key sectors such as healthcare, construction and food services.
The proposal is part of a set of Democratic-led efforts to expand legal pathways for migrants, including TPS holders and undocumented immigrants brought to the US as children.
Similar legislation introduced in Congress has sought to provide long-term stability for TPS recipients, reflecting concerns that the programme, originally designed as temporary relief, has become a prolonged legal limbo for many families.
The bill’s prospects remain uncertain in a divided Congress, where immigration policy continues to be a central point of political contention.
