It’s time to fight!
Yesterday the Trump Administration announced they are ending Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for people from El Salvador in September 2019. For over two decades Salvadorans have worked, started businesses and family here in the United States and now face deportation.
The past 5 months this current administration has made major changes to immigration affecting hundreds of thousands of people. These decisions have rippling effects on those who now face deportations, their families, and our communities. The Welcome Project which builds the collective power of immigrants to help shape community decisions is angered by this decision and the continued recklessness of this administration on haphazardly making decisions based on hate.
Current immigration tactics have only led to families being torn apart as we see parents deported and their US-born children placed into an already overburdened foster care system. These decisions also remove hard working people who have contributed to the US economy. According to a study conducted by the Immigrant Legal Resource Center deporting TPS holders would cost 3.1 Billion dollars, and a shrink in our GDP of 45.2 Billion dollars over the next decade.
We at The Welcome Project will continue to work tirelessly on helping all immigrants regardless of their documentation status. Further, we call on our Senators and Congressmen to fight for a clean DACA bill, and a pathway to citizenship for all. We call on our State Legislators, and our Governor to protect all residents by passing the Safe Communities ACT. In the City of Somerville, we call on everyone to volunteer and join the Somerville Rapid Response Network, so we can ensure that all residents, regardless of citizenship status feel safe as they live, work, and play, in our great city.
Benjamin Echevarria Jr.
Executive Director