HomeMy WebLinkAboutCity of Tamarac Resolution R-2022-110 Urging the Biden Administration to Extend "TPS" Designation to HonduransTemp. Reso. #13844
September 14, 2022
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CITY OF TAMARAC, FLORIDA
RESOLUTION NO. R-2022- //0
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COMMISSION OF
THE CITY OF TAMARAC, FLORIDA, URGING THE
BIDEN ADMINISTRATION TO EXTEND
TEMPORARY PROTECTED STATUS ("TPS")
DESIGNATION FOR HONDURANS AND TO
DECLARE A NEW INITIAL TPS DESIGNATION DATE
FOR HONDURANS,- PROVIDING FOR CONFLICTS;
PROVIDING FOR SEVERABILITY; AND PROVIDING
FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
WHEREAS, on January 5,1999, Hondurans were granted Temporary
Protected Status ("TPS") because of the devastation caused to Honduras by
Hurricane Mitch, which killed over 10,000 people, destroyed thousands of homes,
and caused over $5 billion in damage; and
WHEREAS, Honduran Nationals eligible for TPS protection must have been
present in the United States as of January 5, 1999; and
WHEREAS, the TPS designation for Hondurans was subsequently
extended on numerous occasions until 2017, when the Department of Homeland
Security ("DHS") announced its decision to terminate the TPS designation for
Hondurans, effective January 5, 2022, following an 18-month transition period; and
WHEREAS, due to series of legal challenges, the TPS designation for
Hondurans was not terminated on January 5, 2022, and, most recently, on
September 10, 2021, DHS announced that the TPS designation for Honduras was
extended through December 31, 2022, because of the legal challenges; and
Temp. Reso. #13844
September 14, 2022
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WHEREAS, in the time since the initial announcement that the TPS
designation for Hondurans would be terminated, the situation in Honduras has
deteriorated; the country has suffered devastating effects from the COVID-19
pandemic, and, in November 2021, two Category 4 Hurricanes, Eta and Lota
ravaged Honduras less than two weeks apart destroying roads, homes, hospitals,
schools, and other critical infrastructure; and
WHEREAS, the devastation caused by Hurricanes Eta and Lota — loss of
80% of the agriculture sector and over $1.86 billion in damages in the midst of a
pandemic, as well as Honduras' designation as the third poorest country in North
America — is on the scale to justify an independent designation of TPS for
Hondurans as the country struggles to recover; and
WHEREAS, the approximately 57,000 Hondurans who currently have TPS,
have been in the United States since at least January of 1999, and have strong
community ties, including U.S.-born children who should not have to choose
between their parents and their birthright as Americans; and
WHEREAS, according to the Central Bank of Honduras, 22% percent of the
Gross Domestic Product ("GDP") of Honduras comes from remittances from TPS
recipients and others, totaling more than $5.7 billion annually; and
WHEREAS, Honduras will be unable to safely receive or assimilate 57,000
or more Hondurans or to replace their remittances, which help sustain its economy,
rendering deportations of Hondurans with TPS both unsafe and destabilizing; and
Temp. Reso. #13844
September 14, 2022
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WHEREAS, Hondurans currently meet all of the requirements for an initial
designation of a foreign state under the TPS program — the environmental
disasters of Hurricane Eta, Hurricane Lora, and the COVID-19 pandemic have
caused a substantial disruption of the living conditions in Honduras, and Honduras
is currently unable to adequately handle the return of its nationals, and Honduran
Minister of Foreign Affairs Lisandro Rales officially requested designation of
Honduras under the TPS statute on December 4, 2020 ; and
WHEREAS, Broward County has a significant population of Hispanics, of
which twelve percent are from Central American countries like Honduras and
Tamarac is home to residents of Honduran nationality, as well as many Honduran
organizations and business ; and
WHEREAS, the Board of County Commissioners of Broward County,
Florida, unanimously adopted a similar resolution on October 19, 2021, "Urging
the Biden Administration to Extend TPS Designation for Honduras and to Declare
a New Initial TPS Designation Date for Honduras"; and
WHEREAS, the City Commission of the City of Tamarac, deems it to be in
the best interests of the business owners, residents, and visitors of the City of
Tamarac to support the calls for the Biden Administration to extend the TPS
designation for Honduras and to declare a new initial TPS designation date for
Honduras.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COMMISSION OF
THE CITY OF TAMARAC, FLORIDA THAT:
Temp. Reso. #13844
September 14, 2022
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Section 1: The foregoing recitals are true and correct and hereby
adopted as the legislative and administrative findings of the City Commission; all
exhibits attached hereto are incorporated herein and made a specific part of this
Resolution.
Section 2: The City Commission of the City of Tamarac hereby urges
President Joseph R. Biden, Jr., to instruct DHS to adopt a new TPS designation
date for Honduras and to extend TPS designation for Honduras beyond its current
December 31, 2022, expiration date.
Section 3: The City Commission of the City of Tamarac hereby urges
DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to adopt a new TPS designation date for
Honduras beyond its current December 31, 2022, expiration date.
Section 4: City staff is directed to transmit a copy of this Resolution to
President Joseph R. Biden, Jr., White House Chief of Staff Ron A. Klain, Secretary
of State Antony Blinken, DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, the members of the
Broward Congressional Delegation, the Broward County Commission, and the
mayors of all municipalities in Broward County.
Section 5: All resolutions or parts of resolutions in conflict herewith are
hereby repealed to the extent of such conflict.
Section 6: This Resolution shall become effective immediately upon
adoption.
Temp. Reso. #13844
September 14, 2022
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PASSED, ADOPTED AND APPROVED this 1+1�% day of
2022.
ATTEST:
KIMBERLYJDILLON, CMC
CITY CLERK
P/// A /'- /,//7 � --� rl �-- �l
MI HELLE J. G ME
MAYOR
RECORD OF COMMISSION VOTE
MAYOR GOMEZ:
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DIST 1:
COMM. BOLTON
DIST 2:
V/M GELIN
DIST 3:
COMM. VILLALOBOS
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DIST 4:
COMM. PLACKO
APPROVED AS TO FORM AND LEGAL SUFFICIENCY FOR
THE�U$E AND RELIANCE OF THE CITY OF TAMARAC ONLY.
J _ R. HERIN, ,
CITY ATTORNEY