Presidents’ Alliance Applauds Announcement of Temporary Protected Status for Ethiopia and Calls for Special Student Relief to Follow

PRESIDENTS’ ALLIANCE APPLAUDS ANNOUNCEMENT OF TEMPORARY PROTECTED STATUS FOR ETHIOPIA AND CALLS FOR SPECIAL STUDENT RELIEF TO FOLLOW
Granting TPS and SSR for Ethiopia will provide protection and work permits/flexibility for 30K Ethiopians in the United States and over 2,000 Ethiopian international students

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 24, 2022
CONTACT: Diego Sánchez (diego@presidentsalliance.org)

Washington, D.C.— The Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration applauds the Biden administration and Secretary Mayorkas for the decision to provide Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Ethiopia on Friday. Ethiopia is currently facing an ever-escalating humanitarian crisis and extensive violence throughout the country, creating unsafe conditions. This 18-month designation for TPS will provide work permits and protections from deportation for nearly 30,000 Ethiopians already living and working in the United States.

The Presidents’ Alliance also stresses the need for Special Student Relief (SSR) for the over 2,000 Ethiopian international students currently studying in U.S. colleges and universities. Pairing TPS and SSR provides additional flexibility for these individuals, allowing them to continue their education and work and live in the United States. We urge the administration to continue to use TPS and SSR together to provide protection for individuals whose home countries are in crisis.  

Jill Welch, Senior Policy Advisor to the Presidents’ Alliance, stated: “The TPS announcement for Ethiopia represents a tremendously positive development for Ethiopians in the United States. We urge the Biden administration to continue to couple Special Student Relief (SSR) with TPS, rather than allowing months to go by in between the two types of relief. Much like other students whose countries of origin are experiencing crises, these students need to be allowed the flexibility to drop below course load without losing student status and to work off-campus to help mitigate enormous financial strain. SSR allows them to do just this.”

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The nonpartisan, nonprofit Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration brings college and university presidents and chancellors together on the immigration issues that impact higher education, our students, campuses, communities and nation. We work to advance just, forward-looking immigration policies and practices at the federal, state, and campus levels that are consistent with our heritage as a nation of immigrants and the academic values of equity and openness. The Alliance is composed of over 550 presidents and chancellors of public and private colleges and universities, enrolling over five million students in 43 states, D.C., and Puerto Rico.