S.F. packs the court as Judge hears arguments against termination of Temporary Protected Status

"At 2 a.m. Tuesday morning, nursing student Jhony Silva folded clothes to quiet his anxiety. In a few hours, Silva's attorneys would challenge the Department of Homeland Security's July decision that terminated Temporary Protected Status for immigrants from Nepal, Honduras and Nicaragua who had fled to the U.S. to escape natural disasters. Silva is among more than 60,000 people whose lives hang in the balance."

"A recent lawsuit, filed by ACLU NorCal and partnering law firms challenged the Department of Homeland Security's decision to terminate Temporary Protected Status and claim that DHS did so unlawfully. As it stands right now, those left without protected status will have to decide between uprooting their lives to face tenuous conditions in their home countries or remaining rooted in the U.S. where they could face severe legal consequences."

"Inside Judge Trisha Thompson's San Francisco courtroom - at the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California - on Tuesday morning, an audience filled the wooden benches for the hearing: National TPS Alliance v. Noem. They sat shoulder-to-shoulder, many wearing TPS alliance pins from the advocacy organization National TPS Alliance. Others held white roses adorned with blue ribbons - the flower a symbol of peace and the color referencing the Nicaragua and Honduras flags."

The Department of Homeland Security terminated Temporary Protected Status for nationals of Nepal, Honduras and Nicaragua, affecting more than 60,000 people who fled natural disasters. ACLU NorCal and partner law firms filed suit arguing the termination was unlawful and seeking restoration of protections. A federal hearing in San Francisco could turn on jurisdiction; Judge Trisha Thompson may issue a summary judgment that would reinstate TPS if jurisdiction is found. Affected individuals face choosing between returning to unstable home countries or remaining in the U.S. and risking legal consequences. Personal accounts include a Honduran nursing student who arrived at age twelve and built his life in the United States.

Read at Mission Local