Res. No. 2057
Resolution calling upon the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security to grant Temporary Protected Status designation of the Philippines and eligible Filipino nationals.
By Council Members Eugene, Dromm, Van Bramer, Chin, Koo, Koppell, Mendez, Richards, Rose, Rodriguez, Williams and Brewer
Whereas, Temporary Protected Status ("TPS") is a temporary immigration status granted to eligible nationals of designated countries; and
Whereas, Under section 244 of the Immigration and Nationality Act, the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security ("DHS") may grant TPS to immigrants in the United States who are momentarily unable to securely return to their home country due to: (i) ongoing armed conflict; (ii) the temporary effects of an environmental disaster; or (iii) other extraordinary and temporary conditions; and
Whereas, Such immigrants may not be removed from the United States during the period in which such status is in effect; and
Whereas, On November 8, 2013, the Philippines was struck by a Category 5 typhoon, which caused extensive damage to 36 provinces and surrounding areas; and
Whereas, The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council estimates that in wake of the typhoon, more than 5,000 people lost their lives, 11 million people have been affected and nearly 700,000 displaced; and
Whereas, The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs states that 11.3 million people in the Philippines are without basic necessities such as food and shelter, or a means of providing for their families; and
Whereas, Weather is normally responsible for five billion dollars in property damage annually in the Philippines; however, following Typhoon Haiyan, damage estimates have reached 14 billion dollars; and
Whereas, According to the Pacific Disaster Center's initial reports, more than a million houses were damaged or destroyed in the Philippines by Typhoon Haiyan; and
Whereas, According to a November 13, 2013 BBC article, heightened security threats were becoming more prevalent as grocery stores and warehouses were being raided by looters searching for sources of food, with residents reporting a fear for their safety; and
Whereas, Hospitals, particularly within the hardest hit area such as the city of Tacloban, are out of critical medical supplies and are currently at capacity, unable to admit additional patients in desperate need of services; and
Whereas, Currently eight countries, El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, Nicaragua, Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan, and Syria have been granted TPS; and
Whereas, An individual is only eligible for TPS benefits if he or she (i) establishes continuous physical presence and continuous residence in the United States; (ii) is not subject to one of the criminal, security-related, or other bars to TPS; and (iii) applies for TPS benefits in a timely manner; and
Whereas, An individual is not eligible for TPS if he or she (i) has been convicted of any felony or two or more misdemeanors committed in the United States; (ii) is a persecutor or subject to one of the bars to asylum; or (iii) is subject to criminal-related or terrorism-related grounds of inadmissibility for which a waiver is not available; and
Whereas, According to the U.S. Census Bureau, there are four million Filipinos living in the United States, many of whom reside in New York City; and
Whereas, Granting TPS to the Philippines would aid the estimated 270,000 undocumented Filipinos in the United States as well as another 300,000 on temporary visas according to the National Federation of Filipino American Associations; and
Whereas, In addition, it would allow such individuals to live and work in the United States for the duration of the designation since they are currently unable to safely return to their home country; and
Whereas, U.S. Senator Charles Schumer says it makes no sense to return Filipino immigrants residing in the U.S. back to a devastated country and the United States should grant TPS status until the Philippines is back on its feet; and
Whereas, The scope of the devastation caused by the earthquake will require a long-term rebuilding and redevelopment plan with support from the United States and the international community, and the magnitude of the typhoon's devastation has yet to be fully realized; and
Whereas, In an effort to provide humanitarian relief to the Philippines, Filipinos should be allowed to remain in the United States for protection from unsanitary and dangerous conditions while the effects of the typhoon are dealt with; now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Council of the City of New York calls upon the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security to grant Temporary Protected Status designation of the Philippines and eligible Filipino nationals.
TH/JSM
LS 5218
11/26/2013