LOC21:55
18:55 GMT
US Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem
WASHINGTON, Feb 13 (KUNA) -- US Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem announced Friday the termination of temporary protected status for Yemen, with the termination to be effective 60 days after the notice is published in the Federal Register.
Yemen was initially designatedآ for Temporary Protected Statusآ (TPS) on September 3,آ 2015, based on aآ determinationآ that there was an ongoing armed conflict and that, due to that conflict, requiring nationals of Yemen to return would pose a serious threat to their personal safety, Noem said in a press statement.
Following the initial designation, the Department of Homeland Security extendedآ or extended and redesignatedآ Yemen for TPS inآ 2017,آ 2018,آ 2020,آ 2021,آ 2023,آ and 2024, she added.
"After reviewing conditions in the country and consulting with appropriate U.S. government agencies, I determined that Yemen no longer meets the lawآ’s requirements to be designated for Temporary Protected Status," said Secretary Noem.
"Allowing TPS Yemen beneficiaries to remain temporarily in the United States is contrary to our national interest. TPS was designed to be temporary, and this administration is returning TPS to its original temporary intent. We are prioritizing our national security interests and putting America first," she noted.
TPS Yemen beneficiaries with no other lawful basis for remaining in the United States have 60 days to voluntarily depart the United States, the secretary emphasized.
"We encourage aliens leaving the United States to use the U.S. Customs and Border Protection CBP Home app to report their departure from the United States. The app provides a safe, secure way to self-deport that includes a complimentary plane ticket, a $2,600 exit bonus, and potential future opportunities for legal immigration," she added.
After the effective date of the termination, the Department of Homeland Security may arrest and deport any Yemeni national without status once their TPS has been terminated. If an alien forces DHS to arrest and remove them, they may never be allowed to return to the US, she concluded. (end)
rsr.mt