Communities in Peril: The Dispersion of Temporary Protected Status Populations throughout Massachusetts

Massachusetts is estimated to have over 12,000 residents with Temporary Protected Status (TPS). TPS is a non-immigrant status granted when a country's nationals in the United States cannot return safely or, in certain circumstances, when the country is unable to handle the return of its nationals adequately. This legal status was instituted as part of the 1990 Immigration Act, which was sponsored by Senator Edward M. Kennedy and signed into law by President George H. W. Bush. TPS beneficiaries are not removable from the United States, can obtain an employment authorization document (EAD), and may be granted travel authorization.

Recently the Trump administration has decided to terminate the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) designation for Nicaragua, Haiti, and El Salvador with effective date, respectively, of January, July, and September of 2019. Honduras may well be next. It is urgent to understand the impact that such decisions will have, not only on the daily lives of immigrant communities but also on the regions and towns where these immigrants have settled. Communities in Peril: The Dispersion of Temporary Protected Status Populations throughout Massachusetts aims to begin this conversation by estimating the number of foreign nationals whose lives face profound disruption when their TPS is terminated.

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