In response to the Trump Administration’s decision to extend but not redesignate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Yemenis living in the United States, Oxfam America’s Humanitarian Policy Lead Scott Paul, said:
"We are relieved to hear that the Trump Administration has decided to extend Temporary Protected Status for Yemenis living in the United States but disappointed that TPS has not been redesignated, leaving many Yemenis in the US in legal limbo.
Continuing to grant TPS will not solve the crisis but is the least we can do for the Yemenis who have arrived in the US seeking safety and protection. While the decision provides a temporary respite for over 1,000 Yemenis currently with TPS, it does nothing for other Yemeni citizens in the US who cannot apply for TPS.
By supporting the Saudi- and Emirati-led coalition’s military operations in Yemen for more than three years and counting, the US has fueled the world’s largest humanitarian emergency. A child dies every ten minutes in Yemen from preventable disease, and girls are at particular risk of being sold into marriage. The US should end its support for the coalition and instead promote peace and protect the millions of Yemenis at risk. The lives of millions without enough food, clean water, fuel or medicine hang in the balance.
Oxfam calls on Congress to pass legislation granting Yemeni TPS holders permanent residency status and a path to citizenship so that they can continue to safely live and work in the US without fear of return to the devastating conditions in Yemen."
