By Steve Neavling
ticklethewire.com
Immigrants who fled their countries because of dangerous conditions and have been legally living in the U.S. are now in danger of being sent back to their homes, Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly said Thursday.
Kelly told the Associated Press that immigrants with “temporary protected status” should not believe they have a permanent right to live in the U.S.
That could impact tens of thousands of people from Central America and Haiti.
“The point is not that there be a complete recovery of all ills in the country,” Kelly said. “The point is, whatever the event is that caused TPS to be granted — that event is over, and they can return.”
The vast majority of immigrations with temporary protected status are from El Salvador (263,000) and Honduras (86,000). Immigrants fled those countries because of natural disasters.
Kelly said the immigrants were not intended to stay in the U.S. permanently.
“The point is not that there be a complete recovery of all ills in the country,” Kelly said. “The point is, whatever the event is that caused TPS to be granted — that event is over, and they can return.”
