WASHINGTON, D.C. – Farshad Owji, President of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), responded to the Biden Administration’s recent actions to extend and redesignate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Ethiopia and to introduce additional measures for certain Palestinian nationals with the following statement:
"AILA welcomes the extension and redesignation of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Ethiopia, the establishment of procedures to apply for work authorization for individuals with Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) from Palestine, and the announcement of Special Student Relief for F-1 Palestinian students. AILA has been urging the administration to adopt these measures, among others, to ensure that individuals are shielded from war and other life-threatening situations and that those in the United States can reside legally and apply for work authorization. AILA urges the Biden Administration to continue using executive authority to protect foreign nationals from countries posing similar risks. Furthermore, Congress should allocate funding to ensure agencies have the necessary resources to adjudicate these cases efficiently, which would also help alleviate the years-long backlogs plaguing many immigration cases. Finally, it is crucial to establish a pathway toward permanent legal status for those who, protected by TPS and DED, have lived in the United States for years."
