November 9, 2023 

President Joseph R. Eiden 

The White House 

1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW 

Washington. DC 20500 

Secreta1y Antony Elinken 

U.S. Department of State 

2201 C Str eet NW 

Washington. DC 20520 

Secreta1y Alejandro Mayorkas 

U.S. Department of Homeland Secmity 

301 7th Street, SW 

Washington. DC 20024 

RE: 131 NATIONAL, STATE, AND LOCAL FAITH-BASED ORGANIZATIONS AND LEADERS CALL 

FOR DESIGNATION OF TEMPORARY PROTECTED STATUS FOR THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC 

OF CONGO 

Dear President Eiden. Secreta1y Mayorkas. and Secretary Elinken. 

The tmdersigned 131 faith-based organizations write to urge Secretary of the Department of 

Homeland Secmity (OHS) Mayorkas to designate the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) for 

Temporary Protected Status (TPS). Escalating anned conflicts have fmt her aggravated a dire 

humanitariancrisis, endange1ing millions nationwide. The United Nations estimates that over 6.9 

million people in the DRC are internally displaced and has called the emergency in the country "one 

of the largest intemal displacement and humanita1ian c1ises in the world." 1The United States must 

act without delay to ensm·e that our Congolese neighbors. friends, and family members can safely 

remain in their connmutities where they belong. 

The OHS Secretary, in consultation with the Secreta1y of State and others. may designate a country 

for TPS ifconditions in a country (as a whole or in pa1t) meet statuto1y requirements for such 

designatio1,2 including ongoing armed conflict natural disasters. or other extraordina1y and 

temporary conditions that temporatily prevent safe return. TPS is a life-saving protection that 

allows people from a designated country to remain in the United States while conditions in their 

home country make safe return impossible. 

Through advocacy. many faith-based organizations emphasize the gospel teaching, "I was a stranger 

and you welcomed me," identifying the needs, embracing humanity, and protecting the rights of 

inm1igrants. This impo1tant legal and moral tool provides eligible individuals protection from 

depo1t ation and work authorization. Our faith-based organizations and leaders strongly believe 

that the DRC clearly meets the statutory requirements for a TPS designation- which would extend 

1 International Organization for Migration {IOM), Record High Displacement in DRCat Nearly 7 Million (Oct. 30, 2023), 

https://www.iom.int/news/record-high-displacement-drc-nearly- 7 -million. 2 S U.S.C. § 1254a(b)(l); -:.u also Homeland Security Act of 2002, Public Law 107-296, 116 Stat. 2 135 (Congress delegating 

authority for TPS designation from U.S. Attorney General to DHS Secretary). 
much needed grace to nationals from the DRC currently living in our commtmities and worshiping 

in our congregations. 

I. The DRC has faced alarming levels of armed conflict for decades, with disturbing 

levels of violence leading to killings, sexual violence, and mass displacement over 

the past year. 

Within the past year, the DRC has seen a dramatic increase of violence and am1ed conflict that has 

resulted in widespread sexual violence, displacement and killings. As recently as August 2023, more 

than 40 civilians were gunned down in Goma, North Kivti as the persistent violence continues to 

escalate 3. For nearly three decades, conflict and its resulting htm1anita1ian c1isis have claimed over 

5.4 million lives, making it one of the deadliest conflicts in world histo1y.4 Multiple active am1ed 

forces. funded by foreign nations have battled one another in this mineral-1ich nation. causing 

devastating harm and instability among civilian populations.• To date, more than 100 non-state 

anned groups are active in the DRC, and are subjecting civilians to widespread human rights 

violations.6 

Since 2022, anned conflict in the eastem DRC has brought horrific levels of violence and "carnage," 

as the resurgence of the anned group March 23 Movement ("M23"), which the UN confirms that the 

govemment of Rwanda strongly suppo1ts, has invaded the No1th Kivt1 province. 

7 The M23 group 

has massacred civilians with imptmity, and captured large pa1ts of the DRC's eastem province.a In 

the No1th Kivtt capital Goma, Doctors without Borders/Medecins sans frontiers (MSF) has been 

treating nearly SO new sexual violence smvivors each day,9 

3 Andres Schipani, UN 'alarmed' by deaths during protest against its DRCpeacekeeping force 

, Financial Times (Sep. 1, 2023), https://www.ft.com/content/16690c3a-1e36-46c2-8af0-4dbe53fd5a8b 4 International Rescue Committee (IRC), IRC study shows Congo's neglected crisis Ieaves 5.4 million dead (Jan 22, 2008), 

https://reliefweb.int/report/democratic-republic-congo/irc-study-shows-congos-neglected-crisis-leaves-54-million-dead. 

5 The ArmedConflict Location & Event Data Project (A CLEO), Armed Conflict Location& Event Dara Project, Actor Profile: 

The March 23 Movement (April 11, 202 3), https://reliefweb.int/report/democratic-reoublic-congo/actor-profile-march-23-

movement ("Amidstthe myriad conflicts across DRC, the M23 became the second most active non-state armedgroup in 2022, 

behind the Allied Democratic Forces, and the most active non-state armed group in Nord Kivu province."); Amnesty 

International, DRC: M23 armed group must stop killing civiliansand respect international law (Dec. 2, 2022), 

https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2022/12/m23/ (explaining Rwanda's support for M23 forces); Eromo Egbejule, What 

is the Allied Democratic Forces armed group?, Al Jazeera (Nov. 30, 2021), https://www.aljzeera.com/news/202 1/11/30/whatlies-behind-the-allied-democratic-forces-armed-group (explaining Ugandan support for Allied Democratic Forces) 6 FWD.us, Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for the Democratic Republic ofthe Congo (DRC) (last accessed Aug. 28, 2023), 

https://www .fwd.us/news/tps-drc/. 7 Nellie Peyton and Hereward Holland, U.N. experts:Rwanda has interwined military in eastern Congo 

, Reuters (Sug. 4, 2022), https://www .reuters.com/world/africa/un-experts-say-rwanda-has-intervened-military-eastern-congo- 2022-08-04/; Erin Cunningham, Rebels killed hundreds in Democratic Republicof Congo,officials say, Washington Post (Dec. 

5, 2022); lnternational Crisis Group, Regional PowersShould Drive Diplomacy in DR Congo as M23 SurroundsGoma (Nov. 

30, 2022), https://www.crisisgroup.org/africa/great-lakes/democratic-republic-congo/regional-powers-should-drive-diplomacydr-congo-m23. 

8 Human Rights Watch, DR Congo: Killings, Rapes by Rwanda-backed M 23 Rebels (June 13, 2023), 

https://www. hrw.org/news/2 023 /06/13/dr-congo-killings-rapes-rwanda-backed-m23-rebels. 9 James Rizzo, The Democratic Republic ofthe Congo 's Unheard Humanitarian Crisis, Just Security (Aug. 16, 2023), 

https://www.justsecurity.org/87532/the-democratic-republic-of-the-congos-unheard-humanitarian-crisis/ 
No1th Kivu is not alone in the recent rise of anned conflict. Kwamouth. a territory in the MaiNdombe province. has also seen a series of deadly attacks killing hundreds of people and leading to 

over 50,000 displaced people.IO The eastem Ittui province has seen armed violence against civilians 

at the hands of multiple armed groups as these forces fight over gold mining sites.11 Predictably, 

these widespread atrocities have led to record levels of displacements and as of October 2023 the 

total number of displaced people in the DRC had surpassed 6.9 million.12 A majority of these 

displacements are due to attacks and armed conflict.13 No human being should have to face such 

dangerous and deadly circumstances and the Biden Administration has a moral obligation to 

protect people from being retttmed to these devastating conditions through a designation ofTPS 

for the DRC. 

Am1ed and sexual violence of such magnitttde have already caught the attention of the United 

States. Secreta1y Blinken has contacted the DRC's President Tshisekedi regarding those killed, 

injured. displaced or left vulnerable by the ongoing violence in the eastem Democratic Republic of 

the Congo."14 The United States has issued sanctions on senior members of the armed groups, 

stating that "[a]ll sides in the conflict are responsible for se1ious human rights abuses including. but 

not limited to, intentional targeting of civilian populations through sexual violence."15 The 

Department of State has further issued its highest level of warning againsttravel in the eastem 

provinces. citing ongoing "crime,civil unrest terrorism, am1ed conflict and kidnapping."16 We are 

calling on this administration to provide TPS protections without delay to ensure the safety of our 

Congolese neighbors, friends and family members in the U.S. 

10 Human Rights Watch, DR Congo: Rampant Intercommunal Violence in West (March. 30, 2023), 

https://www.hrw.org/news/2023/03/30/dr-congo-rampant-intercommunal-violence-west. 

11 UN Security Council, Options for adapting the configuration of MONUSCOand the future United Nations configuration in 

the country beyond the currentmandate of theMission -Reportof the Secretary General (S/2023/574) [EN/AR/RU/ZH] (Aug. 

13, 2023). https://digitallibrary.un.org/record/4017644/files/S 2023 574-EN.pdf. 12 UNHCR, DR Congo emergency (last accessed Aug. 28, 2023), https://www.unhcr.org/us/emergencies/dr-congo-emergency; 

UNHCR, Refugeesin the DRC (last accessed on Sep, 1, 2023), https://data.unhcr.org/en/country/cod#idp 13 United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Democratic Republic of theCongo: Nord 

Kivu, Sud Kivu et Ituri: Internally displaced persons and retunees. July 2023 (Aug. 22, 2023), 

https://www.unocha.org/publications/report/democratic-republic-congo/democratic-repub!ic-congo-nord-kivu-sud-kivu-etituri-internally-displaced-persons-and-returnees-july-2023. 

"U.S. Secratary of State Anthony Blinken (@SecBlinken), Twitter (May 24, 2023, 4:21 PM), 

https ://twitter.com/SecBlinken/status/166146 735 3 8492 49794. 

15 Reuters, US sanctions six for alleged role in Congo's eastern conflict (Aug. 24, 2023), https://ww w.reuters.com/world/ussanctions-six-alleged-role-congos-eastern-conflict-2023-08-24/. 

16 U.S. Department ofState Bureau ofConsular Affairs, Democratic Republic ofthe Congo Travel Advisory (last accessed 

Aug. 2S, 2023), https ://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories/ democratic-republic-of- the-congotravel-advisory .html. 
II. Ongoing conflict b as led to extraordinaryand temporary conditions, with cholera, 

food insecurity,and water shortages. 

Human 1ights advocates17 Members of Congress 18 and faith leaders 19 have long called for action in 

light of the urgent and extraordinary situation facing the DRC. The DRC suffers from the "largest 

food CJisis inthe world," with over 25.8 million people living in food insecmity.20Tbe food crisis 

spans nationwide, although it is more acute in the eastern side of the DRC.21 In 2023. MSF bas 

treated more than 20,500 children at nutritional centers across the region. 22 Food insecurity also 

aggravates vulnerability to gender-based violence. as MSF bas repo1ted thatwomen and girls 

searching for food and firewood have been attacked and raped.23 

Food insecmi ty is but one ofthe many 1ipple effects of the armed conflict in the eastern region, 

which bas led to c1ises in health, education, access to water, and shelter.24 The United Nations just 

declared that the DRC is suffe1ing its worst cholera epidemic since 2017, with over 8,000 children 

tmder the age of5 already infected throughout the first half ofthe year in No1th Kivu alone- a sixfold inCJ·ease compared to the same timeframe in 2022.25 This is pa1ticularlyalarming since in 

2017, the cholera epidemic spread nationwide, including the capital city of Kinshasa leading to 

55,000 infections and over 1,100 deaths. Millions of displaced people are at acute risk. as many live 

in overcrowded camps with watersho1tages and lack of sanitaryfacilities. 

IU. Designating the DRC for TPS is in th e U.S. national interest. 

The United States has long recognized that admitting DRC nationals compo1ts with the U.S. national 

interest The DRC has been the top country of 01igin for refugee admissions in the United States for 

years. underscoring the widespread character ofthe DRC crisis.26 Yet, it is the onlynation among 

17 TPS-DED Administrative Advocacy Coalition, Amid Ongoing Armed Conflict and a Humanitarian Crisis, Congolese 

Community in the U.S. Launches Demand forTPS and SSR (Feb. 1, 2023), 

https://staticl .squarespac.com/static/60b79 f3 630£94flO39bd012 5/t/63daa4ed7dS 5e82f89e70002/167 5273454125/Re!ease +D 

RC+Campaign+Launch.docx.pdf;FWD.us, supra n. 5. 18 Booker Leads Colleagues in Urging Trump to Address Democratic Republic ofCongo's Political, Humanitarian Crisis (Oct 

3, 2017), https://www.booker.senate.gov/news/press/booker-leads-colleagues-in-urging-trump-to-addess-democratic-republicof-congo-and-rsquos-political-humanitarian-crisis. 

19 United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Letter to Secretary ofState Blinken Regarding Situation in Democratic 

Republic of the Congo, August 8, 2023 (Aug. 8, 2023), 

https://www.usccb.org/resources/letter-secretary-state-blinken-regarding-situation-democratic-republic-congo-august-8 

20 United Nations (ONU Info), RDC: des millions de personnes menacees par la faima/ors que les financements se tarissent 

(PAM) (Aug. 23, 2023). https://news.un.org/fr/story/2023/08/1137812 21 Id. (44% ofthe population in the North and South Kivu provinces on the eastern side ofthe DRC are impacted by the food 

crisis). 22 Rizzo, supra n. 6. 

23Human Rights Watch, supra n. 5. 24 ONU Info, supra n.18 ("Le conflit dans l'est de la RDC est une criseinterdependante qui affecte l'insecurite alimentaire, la 

malnutrition, la sante, l'education, l'accesa l'eau potable et les abris"). 

25 ONU Info, RDC: les enf ants confrontes a la pire epidemie de cholera en six ans (Aug. 18, 2023), 

https://news.un.org/fr/story/2023/08/1137762 

26 Ryan Baugh, Fiscal Year 2020 Refugees and Asylees Annual Flow Report, DHS Office of Immigration Statistics March 8, 

2022), https://www.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/2022-03/22_ 0308 plcy_refugees and asylees fy2020 1.pdf ("A total of l l ,840 

persons were admitted to the United States as refugees during 2020, including 5,142 as principal refugees and 6,698 as 

derivative refugees.4 The leading countries of nationality for refugees admitted during this period were the Democratic 

Republic of the Congo (Congo), Burma, and Ukraine.''). 
the top five counnies oforigin for the U.S. refugee program that has yet to receive TPS 

designation.27 

ATPS designation would not only shield impo1t ant members of our comnumities and congregations 

from depo1tation to unsafe or dangerous conditions, it would also boost their unique contributions 

to our society. As we write, 2,000 DRC nationals, who live with 6.000 U.S. citizens. would benefit 

from a TPS designation. Those same individuals contlibute $30 million to the economy annually. 

and have a workforce pa1ticipation rate of 93%. providing essential se1vices at a time of worker 

sho1tages and high inflation. 

28 Designating TPS for the DRC would ensure that their contributions to 

our economy and comnumities continue, as well as keep thousands of Ame1ican families safe and 

together. 

Last but not least. we finnly believe that a TPS designation b1i ngs our moral values in alignment 

with our laws. Across our diverse faith n·aditions. we are called by our sacred texts to the practices 

of welcoming the sojourner and acting in solidarity with the vulnerable. Not depo1ting people to 

ham1 at this juncture should be a moral imperative. The conditions desc1ibed in this Jetter are the 

latest manifestation of unsafe and dangerous conditions the DRC has suffered. as it continues to reel 

from decades of instability and cascading banns- where extemal influence frequently often 

undermined, rather than reinforced, its quest to become a stable, democratic, and peaceful nation. 29 

With this TPS designation. the United States would finally recognize and protect vulnerable DRC 

nationals. 

We thus urge you, President Biden, Secretary Mayorkas, and Secreta1y Blinken, to review country 

conditions and immediately designate TPS for the DRC. We request that an initial designation of18 

months is granted, along with a prompt publication of the Federal Register Notice, a minimum180-

day regisn·ation pe1iod for eligible applicants to submit their applications, and a conununity-d1iven 

outreach campaign for awareness about the relief. As people of faith, we know such a response is 

suppo1t ed by the values, laws, and ideals that this country holds dear. 

Sincerely, 

27 Nils Kinuani, Temporary protected status could saveCongolese lives, Afro News (July 2 7, 2023), 

https://afro.com/temporary-protected-status-could-save-congolese-lives/ ("Ofthe five countries with the highest numberof 

refugees resettled in the U.S. in 2022, the DRC is the only country without a TPS designation."). 

28FWD.us, supra n. 16. 29 Kasper Hoffmann, How DRC's colonial legacyforged a nexus betweenethnicity, territoryand conflict, The Conversation 

(Feb. 1, 2021 ), https://theconversation. cow/how-dres-colonial-egacy--fforged-a-nexus-between-ethnicity-territory-and-conflict153469 (explaining that ethnic character ofDRC conflict finds its roots in decades of Belgian colonialism); Lily Meyer, CIA 

Role In Africa Expanded As U.S. Cold War Worries Grew, 'White Malice,' Details, NPR (Aug. 2 1, 2021), 

https:www.npr.org/2021/08/12/1027183677/cia-role-in-africa-expanded-as-u-s-cold-war-worries-grew-white-malice-details 

(outlining U.S. Central lntelligenceAgency's role in undermining democratic leader Patrice Lumumba prior to his 

assassination); Nik Stoop, Marijke Verpoorten & Peter van der Windt, More, legislation, more violence? The, impact ofDoddFrank in the DRC, PLoS ONE 13(8): e-0201783 (Aug. 9, 2018), 

https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id= 10.1371/journal.pone.0201783 (highlighting adverse, unintended impact of section 

1502 of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, which "increased the incidence of battles with 

44%; looting with 51% and violence against civilians with 28%" while intending to ensure that minerals sourced from the DRC 

were conflict-free). 
National 

Ad1ian Dominica11 Sisters Immigratio11 Assistance 

Ad1ian Dominican Sisters 

Ad1i an Dominican Sisters 

Africa Faith and Justice Network (AF)N) 

American Friends Se1vice Committee (AFSC) 

Asian Ame1ican Christian Collaborative 

Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace 

Catholic Charities USA 

Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc. 

Church of Scientology National Affairs Office, Wash DC 

Church of the Brethre11, Office of Peacebuilding and Policy 

Church World Se1vice 

Congregation of Our Lady of Charity of the Good Shepherd, U.S. Provinces 

Disciples Home Missions 

Dominican Sisters of Sparkill 

Dominicans of the Roman Congregation 

Felician Sisters of No1th America 

Franciscan Action Network 

God is Good Assembly 

Grey Nuns of the Sacred Hea1t 

Holy Spirit Missiona1y Sisters, USA-JPJC 

Immigrant Connection at City Life 

Immigrant Connection- Blue Ridge 

Internationally syndicated Catholic social justice and peace columnist (National Catholic Repo1ter) 

Justice &Advocacy Ministries at Disciples Home Missions 

Lutheran lmmigratio11 and Refugee Se1vice 

Maryknoll Office for Global Concems 

Medical Missio11 Sisters, Justice Office 

Missionary Sister of the Sacred Hea1tofMa1y 

Muslim Institute for Education &Religion 

National Advocacy Center of the Sisters of the Good Shepherd 

Natio11al Com1cil of Churches 

NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice 

New Jerusalem Dream Center Church of God 
New Wineskins Missiona1y Network 

Parity 

Pax Christi USA 

Prayer Pioneers 

Presbyterian Church (USA) 

Provincial Cotmcil Clerics of St. Viator 

Redemption Rehoboth Tabernacle 

School Sisters of Notre Dame. Milwaukee. WI 

School Sisters of Notre Dame 

Sisters of Cha1ity 

Sisters of Cha1ity of Cincinnati 

Sisters ofCha1ity of Nazareth Western Province Leadership 

Sisters of Mercy oftheAme1icas -Justice Team 

Sisters of Mercy 

Sisters of St Joseph of Peace 

Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia 

Sisters of St. Francis of the Providence of God 

Sisters of St. Francis, Clinton, Iowa 

Sojourners 

Sisters of St. Francis, Oldenberg, Indiana 

Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam 

Union For Refonn Judaism 

U11ita1ian Universalists for Social Justice 

UNITED SIKHS 

World Relief 

State 

Capuchin Province of St. Joseph 

Catholic Charities of SW Kansas 

Catholic Coalition for Migrant Justice 

Catholic Coalition for Migrant Justice 

Catholic Social Services 

Church Women United in New York State 

Dominican Sisters of Mission San Jose 
East Bay Sanctuary Covenant 

Franciscan Peace Center, Clinton, Iowa 

Interfaith Council for Peace &Justice-Immigration Justice Caucus 

Jesus for All Evangelistic Ministry 

Justice, Peace, Integrity of Creation Committee, Springfield Dominicans 

Lutheran Social Se1vices of the National Capital Area (LSSNCA) 

Missionary Center Salvation Ark 

Nazareth Chm·ch Not Ethnic Ministries Inc. 

Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada 

Sanctua1y Working Group UCC 

Sisters of Charity ofCincinnati 

Local 

Archdiocese of Miami 

Archdiocese of Seattle 

Ascension Lutheran Church 

Carmelite Sisters, Vedruna 

Catholic Charities of Central and No1thern Missomi 

Catholic Charities of No1t h Louisiana 

Catholic Charities of Sou them Colorado 

Catholic Coalition for Migrant Justice 

CIJPIC Carmelite Sisters, Vedruna 

Community of the Holy Spirit 

Compass Immigration Legal Se1vices 

Dominican Sisters of Houston 

Dorothy Day Catholic Worker House 

Faith &Justice committee. St. Joseph Pa1ish 

Friends of St.Francis 

Haitian Christian United Chm·ch 

HIAS Pe1msylvania 

Immigrant Connection atSent Church 

Immigrant Hope Gainesville 

Immigrant Hope-Wyoming/Idaho 

Interfaith Initiative for Social Justice 
Interfaith Welcome Coalition - San Antonio 

Jewish Coalition for Immigrant Justice NW 

Long Island Immigration Clinic 

Multicultural Family Center 

New Hope Office of Immigration services 

Nottheast Ohio Ftiends of Immigrants 

Outreach Coordinator. Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Miami 

Pedro Arrupe Jesuit Institute 

Rehoboth Tabernacle 

Restoration Community Church 

San Bernardino Diocese 

Sanctua1y Working Group 

Sayuni Pentecostal Church 

Sherman Street Chtistian Refom1ed Chtu·ch 

Sisters and Brothers of Immigrants. Inc. 

Sisters of St. Dominic of Blauvelt. New York 

Sisters of St. Dominic 

Sisters of St. Joseph of Concordia. Kansas 

Sisters of St. Joseph 

SOLACE 

St. Aloysius Parish Charity and Social Justice Commission Committee 

St. Cronan Catholic Church 

St. Elizabeth Catholic Church 

St. Michael&All Angels Episcopal Church 

St. Pitts V Patish 

Uncage &Reunite Families Coalition 

Unitatian Universalist Fellowship of Hidalgo County Texas 

United Church in University Place 

University Mennonite Church 

Wesley United Methodist Church 

West Hills Friends Church 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services 

Office of the Director (MS 2000) 

Camp Springs, MD 20588-0009 

March 13, 2024 

Elnora Bassey 

Policy Advocate 

Catholic Legal Immigration Network Inc. 

8455 Colesville Road, Suite 960 

Silver Spring, MD 20910 

Dear Ms. Bassey: 

Thank you for your November 9, 2023 letter to the Department of Homeland Security 

(DHS) in support of a Temporary Protected Status (TPS) designation for the Democratic 

Republic of Congo (DRC). I am responding on behalf of the Department. 

I appreciate the concerns you have outlined regarding the situation in the DRC and your 

interest in its designation for TPS. DHS is committed to administering its programs, including 

TPS, in an equitable manner and makes decisions regarding TPS designations after consultation 

with interagency partners and careful consideration of the circumstances of the country, pursuant 

to statutory criteria.1 

In order to designate a country for TPS, the Secretary must find one or more of the 

following: (1) there is an ongoing armed conflict within the country that would pose a serious 

threat to the personal safety of the country’s nationals if they were returned; (2) there has been an 

environmental disaster resulting in a substantial, but temporary, disruption of the living 

conditions in the area affected, the country is temporarily unable to handle adequately the return 

of its nationals, and the country has officially requested TPS designation; or (3) there exist 

extraordinary and temporary conditions in the country that prevent nationals from returning in 

safety, and the Secretary does not find that permitting the country’s nationals to remain 

temporarily in the United States would be contrary to the national interest of the United States. 

See Immigration and Nationality Act § 244(b)(1), 8 U.S.C. § 1254a(b)(1). 

Please be assured that DHS is monitoring conditions in the DRC. In addition to TPS, 

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) may, upon request, apply certain 

extraordinary measures to eligible noncitizens affected by emergencies or unforeseen 

circumstances. Such measures may include: 

1 See Immigration and Nationality Act § 244(b)(1). 
Elnora Bassey 

Page 2 

 

Ur M. Jaddou 

Director 

• Change or extension of nonimmigrant status if eligible nationals are currently in the 

United States, even if the request is filed after the authorized period of admission has 

expired; 

• Expedited processing of requests for advance parole documents; 

• Expedited adjudication of requests for off-campus employment authorization for F-1 

students experiencing severe economic hardship; 

• Expedited adjudication of employment authorization applications, where appropriate; 

• Assistance if applicants received a Request for Evidence or a Notice of Intent to Deny 

and were unable to appear for an interview, submit evidence, or respond in a timely 

manner due to the circumstances; and 

• Replacement of lost or damaged immigration or travel documents issued by USCIS, 

such as a Permanent Resident Card (Green Card). 

More information is available at https://www.uscis.gov/newsroom/immigration-relief-inemergencies-or-unforeseen-circumstances. 

Thank you again for your letter and interest in this important issue. Please share this 

response with the other organizations that cosigned your letter. Should you require any 

additional assistance, please do not hesitate to contact the USCIS Office of Citizenship, 

Partnership, and Engagement at public.engagement@uscis.dhs.gov. 

Sincerely,