The Town of Chapel Hill voted unanimously last week to support the continuation of Temporary Protected Status for those who live in North Carolina and Chapel Hill.

Since 1990, Temporary Protected Status or TPS, a program created by Congress, has provided protection from deportation and employment authorization to individuals from countries that have experienced war, environmental disaster, or other life-threatening conditions such as crime and cannot safely return to their home countries.

Council Member Maria Palmer led the motion and invited present TPS beneficiaries who live in Chapel Hill to join her and stand at the front of the meeting hall.

“Some of these folks work in nursing homes, some work at the hospitals, they have been meeting at United Church of Chapel Hill and organizing, and they travel to Washington to lobby, which takes a lot of courage when your status is at play, and they knocked on doors, and I’m really proud to say that our Congressmen, David Price, was one of the few who understood TPS,” said Palmer.

According to the resolution, over 13,000 people living in North Carolina hold TPS from El Salvador, Honduras and Haiti; and over 11,000 U.S.-born children in North Carolina have parents from El Salvador, Honduras and Haiti who have TPS.

“These thousands of persons living in North Carolina on TPS, contribute millions of dollars, let me repeat that, they contribute millions of dollars to our state’s gross domestic product and are integral members of our state’s social fabric,” said Palmer, reading the resolution.

The resolution states that this unanimous support from the council follows the Trump Administration’s indications that it strongly is considering declining to renew TPS for certain countries.

TPS protections for El Salvador, Nicaragua, Honduras, Sudan, and Somalia have been in place for approximately 20 years, but earlier this month, the Trump Administration ended TPS for roughly 2,500 Nicaraguans through January 2019 and extended TPS for Honduran immigrants for six months through July of next year.

The Trump administration also ended TPS status for Sudan beginning November of 2018.

Additionally, the Trump Administration has until Thanksgiving Day to decide whether or not to renew TPS, for 50,000 Haitian recipients that ends in January of 2018.

The town’s resolution also calls on Congress to find a permanent legislative solution that grants residency to TPS holders.

Related Stories
‹
Berry, Miller-Foushee Reelected to Chapel Hill Town Council; Newcomers Rivers, McMahon Earn Most Votes
With the early vote totals and nearly all of Chapel Hill's precincts reported on Tuesday night, the Chapel Hill Town Council election appears unofficially decided.
2025 Candidate Introductions: Chapel Hill Municipal Races
Five candidates for Chapel Hill Town Council are vying for four seats — two of which are open — while the mayor's election is unopposed.
Chapel Hill: Mayor Pro Tem Amy Ryan on Good Neighbor Initiative, Flood Response and Upcoming Events
Chapel Hill Mayor Pro Tempore Amy Ryan joins 97.9 The Hill News Director Brighton McConnell on Thursday, August 14.
EPA Advisor, Former Professor Louie Rivers III Announces Bid for Chapel Hill Town Council
Louie Rivers III, a social science advisor for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and former professor, announced his bid for the Chapel Hill Town Council this week. Rivers is one of six candidates who have announced bids for the four available seats on the council this fall. “Since the last presidential election, I have become […]
Chapel Hill Names Virginia Administrator Theodore Voorhees as New Town Manager
After a six-month search, the Town of Chapel Hill selected its next town manager on the doorstep of the new fiscal year. The Chapel Hill Town Council approved the selection and hired Theodore “Ted” Voorhees during its meeting Wednesday night, the elected body’s last before a summer break. Voorhees, the county administrator for the Orange […]
Paris Miller-Foushee Launches Re-Election Campaign for Chapel Hill Town Council, Shares Priorities
The first incumbent in this fall's Chapel Hill Town Council election has entered the race, as Paris Miller-Foushee announced she is seeking a second term.
Moving to Carrboro, Karen Stegman to Leave Chapel Hill Town Council Early
Chapel Hill Town Council member Karen Stegman will step down from her seat on June 27, a few months before her term expires.
Chapel Hill Town Council Approves Application for Affordable Senior Housing Community at Homestead Road
The Town of Chapel Hill recently approved a zoning application for a proposed senior housing community located along Homestead Road.
With Federal Funding Losses and Revaluation, Orange County's Governments Weigh Difficult Tax Rate and Budget Choices
The annual budgeting process is typically an exhaustive one for Orange County’s local governments and staff – but this year, it may be even more so
Chapel Hill Council Approves 300+ New Apartments, Retail Space on S. Elliott Road
The Chapel Hill Town Council approved a conditional zoning request for 200 South Elliott Road, paving the way for a new apartment community.
›