PRESS RELEASE:
For Immediate Release: 2 May 2023
Media Contact: Carliana Harris, 240-701-2777
Central American Essential Workers Look to President Biden for Immigrant Relief at Nicaraguan Restaurant
Immigrant for TPS Redesignation and Designation for Central America As Part of National Day of Action
NORCROSS, Georgia – At a press conference at a popular Nicaraguan restaurant, immigrant essential workers from immigrant advocacy powerhouse CASA honored International Workers Day by remembering the contributions of their labor. As part of the TPS for Central America coalition’s National Day of Action on May Day, the workers from different industries, immigrant rights advocates, and community members pushed President Joe Biden for immigration relief through temporary protection status for Central American countries of Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala.
“We need TPS, because Nicaraguans are experiencing the worst human rights crisis in their history – with a government that denies us the right to be Nicaraguan,” said CASA member, Nohemy Martinez. “We came to this country seeking protection, but in the process we became assets to the country’s economy. We are contributors to the economy. And we just need the opportunity and relief of having TPS so that we don’t continue to be stepped on and victimized. We are the ones who do the most complicated and least paid jobs,” Martinez added.
TPS protects immigrants from deportation and offers work authorization in the United States. This temporary immigration status grants protection to at-risk individuals who are unable to return to their home country due to ongoing armed conflicts, environmental disasters, or other extraordinary and temporary conditions. Central American countries have been facing increasing levels of violence, poverty, and political instability, which have led to large numbers of people seeking refuge in neighboring countries, including the United States. Georgia is home to a sizable Nicaraguan immigrant community.
CASA’s Georgia State Director Luis Zaldivar highlighted how TPS workers power the U.S. economy by adding $22 billion in wages each year: “Immigrants have been essential workers, building up this country for decades. Beyond the tremendous economic power, what immigrant families offer to Georgia is much more than a dollar sign: Georgia’s immigrants center the same hardworking family values that define southern families. President Biden has an urgent role in making our state better and stronger by helping immigrant families stay in the home that they live in and love.”
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For media inquiries or further information, please contact Carliana Harris at [email protected] or 404.697.8865.
With over 149,000 lifetime Latino, immigrant, and working-class members across 46 US states, CASA is the foremost immigrant organization in the mid-Atlantic region and a national leader in supporting immigrant families and ensuring that all individuals have the core support necessary for full participation in society. Now a national immigrant powerhouse, CASA creates change with its power-building model blending human services, community organizing, and advocacy in order to serve the full spectrum of the needs, dreams, and aspirations of members. Visit us at www.wearecasa.org and follow us on Twitter at @CASAforall
