Q&A
Council member Brewer discusses TPS concerns and alternative pathways
1:58:20
ยท
141 sec
Council Member Gale A. Brewer expresses concern about the future of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) under the new administration and inquires about alternative options for immigrants. Officials from MOIA and OASO respond by discussing ongoing advocacy efforts and alternative pathways such as asylum applications and Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS).
- MOIA emphasizes the importance of TPS in the absence of comprehensive immigration reform
- OASO mentions efforts to help TPS applicants also apply for asylum as an alternative pathway
- Officials stress the importance of comprehensive legal screenings to explore all available options for immigrants
Gale A. Brewer
1:58:20
First of all, the TPS has been like a godsend, as far as I'm concerned, for the persons, we've been working with.
1:58:27
But according to the material that the chair kindly sent, 2526, a lot of the countries end.
1:58:34
How are we gonna deal with TPS?
1:58:37
We want TPS.
1:58:38
We love TPS.
1:58:39
We want more TPS.
1:58:41
But this horrible new president might end TPS.
1:58:44
I'm concerned.
1:58:45
What are we doing about it?
Manuel Castro
1:58:46
And, council member, we discussed this earlier.
Gale A. Brewer
1:58:49
I'm sorry.
Manuel Castro
1:58:50
No.
1:58:50
No.
1:58:50
It's okay.
1:58:50
Sorry.
UNKNOWN
1:58:51
I was
Gale A. Brewer
1:58:51
with just so you know, I was with the mayor listening to him talk about the budget.
1:58:55
Go ahead.
Manuel Castro
1:58:56
We discussed this earlier and,
Gale A. Brewer
1:58:58
You would have been more interesting.
1:59:00
I know.
1:59:00
Go ahead.
Manuel Castro
1:59:04
You know, we we've been doing a tremendous amount of advocacy around this issue, I mean, for months, for years.
1:59:10
I'm sorry.
1:59:10
And, we know how important in the absence of comprehensive immigration reform, TPS, is.
1:59:17
And we have been pushing incredibly hard, for what was announced, just last week.
1:59:26
And but, yes, you know, we are concerned about people losing their legal status and ability to work and, you know, which is why we're exploring different ways to be able to provide comprehensive legal screenings for people so that they know their options, and to explore other ways, other ways that they can, they have, relief, so they can have legal status and authority to work.
UNKNOWN
1:59:53
Did you want Are
Gale A. Brewer
1:59:54
there other ways?
1:59:54
We can't do anything locally, I assume.
Molly Schaeffer
1:59:59
Well, just I just wanna mention one thing that we're doing at AHC is that when people come to us for TPS, if they want to, and we, you know, work with them on this, if they want to apply for asylum at the same time, we can do that, and that's really what we've been focused on, and especially the people who, we've already applied for TPS.
2:00:18
We've also done outreach efforts to go back to them and say, do you also potentially want to apply for asylum to give them alternative pathways?
2:00:27
And especially for our young adults, we've also been trying to figure out if we can, help apply them for SIDGE so that, TPS is not the only pathway, but at least that's on the practical side.
2:00:39
I think the advocacy side is super important here too.
Gale A. Brewer
2:00:41
Yeah.