Articles

Citing the demand for workers to rebuild storm ravaged parts of the nation, some leading trade organizations have banded together to seek legislative action ensuring construction employees temporarily permitted to work in the U.S. can continue.  

A joint letter from the National Association of Homebuilders, Associated General Contractors, Leading Builders of America, and Associated Builders and Contractors to congressional leadership enumerated concerns associated with ending the Temporary Protected Status designation for workers from El Salvador, Haiti and Honduras.  

Recently, Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Elaine Duke announced the termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) designation for Nicaragua, but declined a final ruling on Honduras until additional information can be gathered, according to information from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

Employees working in the U.S. due to TPS will be required to apply for Employment Authorization Documents if they want to continue working in the country. The DHS announcement did not mention the status of nationals from El Salvador and Haiti.  

“Local businesses and economies need these legally authorized workers from these countries and would be adversely impacted by a failure to extend their status,” according to information from Associated Builders and Contractors. “Given the recent destruction by hurricanes in the South and the devastating fires in California, our businesses and local economies will now, more than ever, need these legally authorized workers from these countries, and [will] be adversely impacted by a failure to extend their status,” the letter reads.  

Temporary Protection Status is granted to foreign counties facing conditions that may prevent the safe return of nationals, or, in some cases, if a country is deemed unable to handle an influx of returning nationals. Some of the conditions that might trigger TPS are armed conflict, natural disaster or epidemic, according to information from DHS.  

“Aside from the serious humanitarian, global political, and national security consequences; the U.S. impact of terminating TPS for these large populations could profoundly and negatively impact our construction industry (among other industries), and severely slow the pace of recovery in our communities,” the organizations wrote in their letter to Congress.

“Even before the hurricanes hit, large numbers of contractors in the South and across the nation were reporting difficulty finding needed workers. Ending TPS for these three countries would cause the near-term loss of work authorization for an estimated 50,000 construction workers nationwide who are vital to the reconstruction efforts across our country.”  

Duke said additional time is needed to assess the conditions in Honduras before a ruling can be made on its TPS status. As such, it will be extended through July 5, 2018. Duke also called on Congress to enact a permanent decision on the “inherently temporary program.”

Further details will be available in a notice from the Federal Register, according to DHS. “Congress has the authority to prevent the uncertainty and economic damage that would result from negative decisions on TPS,” the joint letter from the trade associations reads. “Together we call on Congress to take legislative action to ensure that TPS holders can remain and continue to work legally in this country.”  

Read the full text of the letter (PDF).

• Prev
• Next