WASHINGTON, DC – New FWD.us analysis released today makes clear that Temporary Protected Status (TPS) is a critical tool for protecting families across the country while also boosting the U.S. economy. TPS is a form of immigration relief that provides work authorization and deportation protections for those who cannot safely return to their home countries due to life-threatening circumstances like armed conflict or natural disaster. TPS holders and TPS-eligible individuals are long-term residents who have lived for an average of 14 years in the U.S., and they hold strong ties to their communities. As of the end of 2022, nearly 900,000 individuals had Temporary Protected Status (TPS) or were eligible for TPS protections.

Findings from the report highlight how TPS holders and TPS-eligible individuals living in the U.S. are deeply ingrained in communities across the country:

More than 800,000 U.S. citizens live in households with at least one current TPS holder or TPS-eligible person, including 400,000 U.S. citizen children. The ability for these families to remain safe and together ultimately remains dependent on their loved ones’ access to TPS or similar protections.

In addition, TPS holders are integral members of the workforce, driving down inflation and filling important gaps in the U.S. economy that continues to face persistent labor shortages. The majority (59%) of current, eligible, or potential TPS holders – or roughly 1.2 million workers – work in industries experiencing 5% or higher job opening rates.

TPS holders and TPS-eligible individuals together contribute some $22 billion in wages to the U.S. economy each year, work in more than 600,000 jobs, and have higher labor force participation rates than the overall U.S. labor force.

Temporary Protected Status provides life-saving relief and underscores the enormous positive impacts that come with granting people the ability to work legally and live without the constant threat of deportation. TPS can help provide immediate humanitarian relief to hundreds of thousands of individuals living in the U.S. and their families while simultaneously strengthening the U.S. labor force. The Biden Administration has successfully utilized TPS in the past two years, and they should continue to extend these protections to more people from countries in crisis and act urgently to provide permanent protections to longtime TPS holders in the U.S. We must build a more humane, safe, and orderly immigration system that prioritizes keeping families safe and together.

Read the new report here: FWD.us: Temporary Protected Status protects families while also boosting the U.S. economy.