Supporting Temporary Protective Status
By Sr. Mary Kay Meagher, ND
I was honored to join our local Omaha TPS Committee earlier this month to support those taking the bus to educate Congress about TPS. TPS simply means Temporary Protective Status, so people can live in the United States and work, own a home, pay taxes, go to school, and have a secure place in the community.
People with TPS have no residency status and the TPS status keeps changing, so there are many people across the country who could lose their legal right to live here at any time. Right now termination of their status is set for January 2021 which means they will be returned to their country of origin they left some 20 years ago.
Nationally, the TPS Alliance set up a bus trip from California to Washington DC with 54 stops along the way to educate and ask for support of gaining US residency begging us to let Congress know we support them.
Omaha Together One Community (OTOC) organized, welcomed, and hosted an event October 2 for us to listen to their shared their journey for justice, pray and sing with them, and support them with supplies for the remained of their trip.
I was honored to share this experience with them. Learn more about their journey and what YOU can ask of YOUR elected officials to support these incredible individuals.
Call, email or text your Senator asking their support of Senate Bill 874
Watch the video here.
A Prayer for Temporary Protective Status
We gather together in welcome you our brothers and sisters on this sacred journey of justice.
We welcome you to our city Omaha, our homeland Nebraska and most significantly we welcome into our hearts.
Together we will recognize you with the response of the word presente.
We are in union with you. We support you.
We ask blessings upon each of you in your continued journey so long, so tiring but so essential to you and to us. You are not alone.
We ask you to be aware of your holy gifts of courage, commitment, love of family and supportive friends.
We ask that you recall in the tedious hours of travel, that you remember your goal.
We ask that the highway ahead be free of harm.
In your luggage please make room for our packages of care, support and prayer.
And lastly we thank you for inviting us to join you on this step of our (together) journey.
Gracias.