TPS update: Sudan, South Sudan, Yemen and proposal for adding several Central American countries

Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson has announced several important designations and deadlines related to Temporary Protected Status ("TPS") for nationals from Sudan, South Sudan, and Yemen: 

• On January 25, 2015, DHS announced it was extending TPS for nationals of Sudan.  Current TPS Sudan beneficiaries who wish to extend their TPS status must re-register during a 60-day period that runs from January 25, 2016 through March 25, 2016.
• On that same day, Secretary Johnson announced redesignation and extension TPS for nationals from South Sudan. Current TPS beneficiaries from South Sudan have until March 26, 2016 to re-register, and new applicants for TPS from South Sudan must apply by July 26, 2016 and prove they are either South Sudanese nationals or persons without nationality who last habitually resided in South Sudan with continuous residence in the U.S. since January 25, 2016 and continuous physical presence in the U.S. since May 3, 2016.
• Yemen was designated for TPS on September 3, 2015 and the registration period runs through March 1, 2016, so applicants from Yemen have less than a month remaining to apply. 

Also on January 25, 2016, a group of 273 civil rights, labor rights, faith-based, immigrant, human rights, humanitarian, and legal service organizations sent a letter to President Obama and Secretary Johnson requesting DHS designate El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras for TPS.  These three countries, known as the Northern Triangle, have experienced a period of escalating violence that has been visible in the U.S. in light of the huge numbers of refugees (particularly minor children) fleeing the Northern Triangle countries.  Iandoli Desai & Cronin P.C. will post news and updates from the White House or DHS regarding this request and any agency action on this page: www.iandoli.com/newsandupdates.