Iowa Justice for Our Neighbors

Miguel called the Cedar Rapids JFON office a few weeks ago to tell Gary and Liliana that his Temporary Protective Status (TPS) had been restored. Gary had helped him appeal a decision based on inaccurate information. Miguel and his wife came to the U.S. from Honduras after Hurricane Mitch devastated his village, and in 1999 the U.S. Congress determined that Hondurans and El Salvadorans affected by the damage could work here under Temporary Protective Status (TPS.) Last year, though, Immigration denied Miguel’s TPS because they mistakenly believed that he had four criminal convictions, so Miguel came to JFON. They helped him obtain a copy of his court records saying his one OMVI conviction had been dismissed after he completed a rehabilitation program, and Gary wrote a legal brief to Immigration that explained that they were wrong about his criminal history. With his TPS and work authorization restored, Miguel was happily back on the job and able to continue sending money back to relatives in Honduras.