NTPSA Statement on Moulton Amendment to DHS Funding Bill: Not One More Penny to Detain or Deport TPS Holders

Washington, D.C.- The National TPS Alliance (NTPSA) today applauds Representative Seth Moulton (MA-06) for filing an amendment to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding bill that would prohibit DHS from detaining or deporting individuals who previously held Temporary Protected Status and who continue to meet the program’s eligibility requirements.

The amendment reflects NTPSA’s long-standing call to end the detention and deportation of TPS holders whose protections have been unlawfully terminated.

“The Trump administration has overseen the largest de-documentation in modern history, terminating the lawful Temporary Protected Status of over a million immigrants, many of whom have lived in the United States for decades,” said José Palma, National Organizer for the National TPS Alliance. “For over 25 years, TPS holders kept their end of the bargain: we re-registered year after year, paid fees, passed background checks, and followed the law. Not one more penny of taxpayer funding should be used to detain or deport TPS holders who continue to meet the requirements of the law.”

Due to Congress’s inaction, more than a million longtime residents now face the harshest consequences. TPS holders whose status has been terminated are confronting detention and deportation despite their deep ties to families, workplaces, and communities across the country.

Over 600,000 Venezuelans have lost TPS and are now vulnerable to detention and deportation. More than 300,000 Haitians are fighting in the courts to retain their protections after the administration terminated Haiti’s designation. Over 50,000 Hondurans and Nicaraguans, many of whom have lived lawfully in the United States for more than 25 years, are also facing possible removal. TPS terminations have also affected individuals from Afghanistan, Cameroon, Nepal, Syria, Burma, Ethiopia, and South Sudan.

“TPS holders are essential workers, parents, homeowners, and community leaders,” Palma added. “We built our lives here lawfully under a program created by Congress. We are calling on lawmakers to ensure that DHS funding is not weaponized against families who have done everything right.”

While the amendment did not advance out of committee before the House votes on DHS funding later this week, NTPSA urges Members of Congress to join Rep. Moulton and send a clear message: Congress must stop funding the detention and deportation of TPS holders and instead provide permanent protections.

About the National TPS Alliance

The National TPS Alliance (NTPSA) is a member-led coalition of Temporary Protected Status holders and their families advocating to defend TPS and secure permanent residency for those protected under the program.