FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 03/28/24
Contact:
Assefash Makonnen, Communications Manager
646- 629-7131
117 ORGANIZATIONS CALL ON THE ADMINISTRATION TO EXTEND AND REDESIGNATE ETHIOPIA FOR TEMPORARY PROTECTED STATUS
Humanitarian protection is essential given violent conditions and humanitarian crises
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Today, 117 organizations led by African Communities Together (ACT) and the Ethiopian Community Development Council (ECDC), wrote to President Joe Biden, Secretary of the Department of Homeland, Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, and Secretary of State Antony Blinken, to urge an 18-month extension and redesignation of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Ethiopia. TPS is a temporary status that provides critical protection to non-citizens of designated countries in the United States, including undocumented immigrants, who cannot be safely returned to their home country. The administration must decide by April 14, 2024 whether to extend TPS for Ethiopia.
The letter outlines the persistent and deteriorating conditions in Ethiopia that make it impossible for nationals to safely return. Ethiopia has been in crisis since the end of 2020, when conflict broke out in the northernmost region of Tigray. The two-year-long war resulted in numerous atrocities and war crimes. Despite the formal end of the war with the signing of a peace agreement between the federal government and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) in Pretoria, South Africa, on November 2, 2022, conditions in the region have not improved to a level that makes return safe. On September 7, 2023, President Biden issued a Notice on the Continuation of the National Emergency concerning Ethiopia, declaring that “The situation in and in relation to northern Ethiopia, which has been marked by activities that threaten the peace, security, and stability of Ethiopia and the greater Horn of Africa region, continues to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States”.
"Ethiopian nationals residing in the U.S. need protection from the dangerous conditions back home. We have seen the Biden Administration repeatedly acknowledge the deteriorating conditions in Ethiopia, and the well-documented humanitarian crises and armed conflict has only continued to grow throughout country. There should be no hesitation in providing a swift redesignation and extension of TPS for Ethiopia,” said Diana Konaté, Policy Director, African Communities Together.
“TPS is a critical humanitarian tool that reflects our nation’s compassion for those escaping danger in their home countries. I urge the Biden Administration to extend protections for thousands of Ethiopians residing in the United States who face uncertainty as Ethiopia continues to experience multiple conflicts and worsening humanitarian crises,” said Dr. Tsehaye Teferra, President and CEO of ECDC
"With the conditions in Ethiopia remaining precarious, a TPS redesignation for Ethiopia is of utmost importance. Deportating Ethiopian citizens will put their lives at risk and a redesignation will demonstrate the administration's commitment to racial justice,” said Kalyani Menon, Coordinator, TPS-DED AAC.
“Forced removal of Ethiopian nationals living in the United States to dangerous conditions is inhumane, immoral and anti-Black. Communities United for Status & Protection (CUSP) calls on the Biden Administration to extend TPS for the thousands of Ethiopians who have found safety in the United States, contribute to American society, and deserve protection from wars and conflict just like Ukrainian nationals who were granted TPS immediately once Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022,” said Carolyn Tran, Executive Director of CUSP.
The Biden Administration has consistently expressed concern about deteriorating conditions in Ethiopia and as recently as February 8, 2024, U.S. Ambassador to Ethiopia, Ervin Massinga, issued a statement expressing concern about targeted drone-strike killings of about 138 innocent civilians allegedly committed by the ENDF in the town of Merawi. The State Department currently advises against travel to most of Ethiopia outside of the capital city, Addis Ababa.
Given the current extraordinary conditions, the letter strongly urges the Administration to extend the 2022 designation and redesignate TPS for Ethiopia. The letter also requests a timely Federal Register Notice, the establishment of a minimum 180-day registration period, and a public information campaign to notify the impacted community of the decision and any actions they must take.
###
African Communities Together (ACT) is a national nonprofit dedicated towards improving the lives of African immigrants in the United States, and empowers African immigrants to integrate socially, advance economically and engage civically.