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Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (MI-12) today thanked Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson for his decision to designate Yemen for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for 18 months due to the ongoing armed conflict within the country. Eligible Yemeni nationals residing in the United States may apply for TPS with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) from September 3, 2015 to March 1, 2016. Details and procedures for applying for TPS were posted today in the federal register and can be found online at www.uscis.gov/tps. 

“Yemeni Americans and their family members have been suffering for months due to the horrific conflict within their country,” said Dingell. “If Yemeni nationals visiting or living in the United States are required to return home during this ongoing crisis, their personal safety and their lives would be put at risk. This designation by the Department of Homeland Security will provide safety and refuge during these difficult times, and it is critical that those who may be eligible and who may be afraid to return to their country during this conflict apply. Our office is available for those who my need assistance in applying for the designation.”

“This Temporary protected status will provide relief for members of our community and those who need it during this time of conflict,” said Abdulhakem Alsadah, Current Chair of the Yemeni American Civil Rights and Anti-Discrimination Coalition, and President of the National Association of Yemeni Americans. “I would like to thank DHS Secretary Johnson, USCIS Director Rodriguez and federal outreach staff at DHS and the National Security Council office including but not limited to George Salim and Ehsan Zaffar. A special thank you is deserved for Eric Treene, Special Counsel for the DOJ Civil Rights Division. All of the organizations including YABA, YAA, ADC, CAIR, and AHRC worked together so effectively to make this possible. We owe a very special debt of gratitude and appreciation to our friend and Representative Congresswoman Debbie Dingell and her staff in Michigan and DC for their work and support. We would like to send our sincere thank you to our dear friend and the Dean of Congress John Conyers and his staff and our friend Senator Debbie Stabenow and her staff. This would not have been possible without the work of all of these amazing people and organizations.”

“This designation is something we have been working on for a long time,” said Ali Baleed Almaklani, Executive Director of the Yemen American Benevolent Association. “It will provide much-needed relief for our community during a time of severe violence and civil strife. I thank the Department of Homeland Security and Congresswoman Dingell for her support and her continuous work on behalf of the Yemeni community.”

“YAA is very happy and delighted at the announcement of TPS for the Yemeni community, and would like to express our sincerest appreciation to Congresswoman Dingell for her hard work on behalf of our community” said Mohamed Abdulla, Public Affairs Director of the Yemeni American Association.  

The TPS designation for Yemen is effective September 3, 2015, and will be in effect through March 3, 2017. The designation means that, during the designated period, eligible nationals of Yemen (and people without nationality who last habitually resided in Yemen) who are approved for TPS will not be removed from the United States. 

For more information about the application process and eligibility requirements, please visit www.ucis.gov/tps. Members of the community who need assistance should contact Dingell’s Dearborn office at 313-278-2936.