3 Members of Congress Seek TPS for Nepalis in U.S. After Deadly Floods in Nepal, Letter Co-Signed by 54 Members
NEW YORK — Three members of Congress are urging the Trump administration to grant Temporary Protected Status to eligible Nepali nationals in the United States after catastrophic flooding in Nepal killed more than 1,400 people, left thousands missing and caused extensive damage to homes and infrastructure.
Reps. Grace Meng, Democrat of New York; Judy Chu, Democrat of California; and Raja Krishnamoorthi, Democrat of Illinois, led a letter sent Wednesday to President Donald Trump and Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin. The lawmakers asked the administration to designate Nepal for TPS after an Aug. 26 glacial collapse and subsequent flooding along the Bhote Koshi and Trishuli river corridors.
They also asked the administration to consider Deferred Enforced Departure for eligible Nepali nationals and to temporarily halt removals to areas of Nepal where rescue, recovery and stabilization efforts are still underway.
Disaster Conditions Cited
The letter cited Nepal’s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority, saying the disaster had affected an estimated 1.6 million people. As of Sept. 21, 1,451 bodies had been recovered, more than 5,780 people remained missing and an estimated 20,000 houses had been destroyed, according to the letter. Nepal’s government has continued to update those figures as search and recovery operations proceed.
Nepal’s rapid damage and needs assessment found widespread destruction of homes, roads, bridges, hydropower facilities and public services along the Bhotekoshi-Trishuli-Narayani river corridor. The assessment estimated that reconstruction would require about $4.78 billion.
“This disaster presents a new and fundamentally different set of circumstances that warrants a new assessment based on current country conditions,” the lawmakers wrote.
They said deporting Nepali nationals at this time could force people to return to communities where homes have been destroyed and relatives remain missing or have died.
TPS Request
Temporary Protected Status is a temporary immigration benefit that can allow eligible nationals of designated countries who are already in the United States to remain and obtain work authorization when conditions in their home countries make return unsafe or otherwise difficult. Federal law allows TPS designations in certain circumstances involving environmental disasters that substantially disrupt living conditions.
Nepal was previously designated for TPS after the 2015 earthquake. The lawmakers said the August disaster is a separate event that warrants a new designation. They urged the administration to work with Nepal’s government to obtain an official request for designation under the environmental-disaster provision of the TPS statute.
The lawmakers requested a response by Oct. 9.
Bipartisan Support
The letter was signed by 54 additional House members, including Republican Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania and María Elvira Salazar of Florida, as well as Democratic members from New York, California, Illinois and other states.
More than 200 organizations endorsed the effort, including Adhikaar for Human Rights and Social Justice, Asian Americans Advancing Justice organizations, the National TPS Alliance, the New York Immigration Coalition and numerous Nepali American community groups.
“The Nepali community is grieving unimaginable loss and experiencing profound tragedy while families wait for news of loved ones impacted by the devastating flooding,” Dahni Tsuboi, chief executive of Asian Americans Advancing Justice–Southern California, said in a statement.
Anil Shahi, founding coordinator of United for TPS Nepal, said a new TPS designation would provide eligible Nepalis with stability while allowing them to support relatives and recovery efforts in Nepal through remittances and other assistance.
The Aug. 26 disaster began with a glacial collapse in the upper Lhende Khola watershed that sent ice, rocks and debris into the Bhote Koshi River system, triggering catastrophic flooding downstream. The disaster severely damaged communities and infrastructure along the Bhote Koshi-Trishuli corridor, with search, rescue and recovery operations continuing weeks later.