Join us for the public release of our latest report on immigrant workers, “We Are Home: TPS Workers Belong Here.”

Today, nearly 1.6 million immigrant workers hold Temporary Protected Status (TPS) or related temporary protections, including approximately 300,000 Central Americans who have maintained legal status for 25-30 years. Recent federal immigration enforcement policies and efforts to terminate the TPS legal status of countless immigrants of color, including 300,000 Haitians and 600,000 Venezuelans, threaten to further increase the exploitation of low-wage immigrant workers in key industries such as healthcare, construction and logistic services.

This report examines the experiences of Central American TPS workers in New York state, adding data to earlier findings by Campos-Medina (2019) that show TPS holders are critical participants in our economy. They have developed strong attachments to their local communities, are members of unions, and engage in social movement organizing, demonstrating their adherence to American values and society. Their stories make a powerful claim to belonging through long-term contributions, family ties, and participation in American ideals and values. As policymakers consider the future of TPS, the experiences of these workers highlight the need for durable immigration solutions that recognize the role of workers with TPS in the nation's economic and social fabric. “This is my home” is the recurring message shared by TPS workers across this research report and the Stories of Belonging project at the Worker Institute at Cornell ILR.

TPS workers will provide testimony. Elected officials and the press will be invited.

This event will be held in person and online.