I 
116TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2783 
To amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to provide for certain protec-
tions for aliens granted temporary protected status or deferred enforced 
departure, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 16, 2019 
Mr. SMITH of New Jersey (for himself and Mr. DIAZ-BALART) introduced the 
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary 
A BILL 
To amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to provide 
for certain protections for aliens granted temporary pro-
tected status or deferred enforced departure, and for 
other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘TPS and DED Protec-
tion Act of 2019’’. 
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SEC. 2. ADJUSTMENT OF STATUS FOR CERTAIN NON-IMMI-
GRANT NATIONALS GRANTED TEMPORARY 
PROTECTED 
STATUS 
OR 
DEFERRED 
EN-
FORCED DEPARTURE. 
Title II of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 
U.S.C. 1101 et seq.) is amended by inserting after section 
244 the following (and amending the table of contents ac-
cordingly): 
‘‘SEC. 244A. ADJUSTMENT OF STATUS FOR CERTAIN NA-
TIONALS IN RECEIPT OF TEMPORARY PRO-
TECTED STATUS OR DEFERRED ENFORCED 
DEPARTURE. 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The status of any alien described 
in subsection (c) shall be adjusted by the Secretary of 
Homeland Security to that of an alien lawfully admitted 
for permanent residence, if the alien— 
‘‘(1) applies for such adjustment within 3 years 
after the date of enactment of this section; 
‘‘(2) is determined to be admissible to the 
United States for permanent residence; and 
‘‘(3) meets the criteria established under sub-
section (c). 
‘‘(b) CERTAIN GROUNDS FOR INADMISSIBILITY INAP-
PLICABLE.— 
‘‘(1) IN
GENERAL.—For purposes of deter-
mining admissibility under subsection (a)(2), the 
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grounds for inadmissibility specified in paragraphs 
(4), (5), (6)(A), and (7)(A) of section 212(a) of the 
Immigration and Nationality Act shall not apply. 
‘‘(2) ADDITIONAL
WAIVER
FOR
INDIVIDUAL 
ALIENS.—The Secretary may waive any other provi-
sion of section 212(a) in the case of an individual 
alien for humanitarian purposes, to assure family 
unity, or when it is otherwise in the public interest. 
‘‘(c) ALIENS ELIGIBLE FOR ADJUSTMENT OF STA-
TUS.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—An alien shall be eligible 
for adjustment of status if— 
‘‘(A) the alien is a national of a country 
(or part of a country) with a designation under 
244(b) of the Immigration and Nationality Act 
during the period specified in section 244(b)(2) 
and who was granted temporary protected sta-
tus, or was otherwise eligible for temporary pro-
tected status, on or before October 1, 2017, or 
has been granted Deferred Enforced Departure 
(hereinafter in this section referred to as 
‘DED’) on or before October 1, 2017; and 
‘‘(B) the alien has been continuously phys-
ically present in the United States for a period 
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of not less than 3 years before the date of the 
enactment of this section. 
‘‘(2) TPS ALIENS
PREVIOUSLY
REMOVED
OR 
DEPARTED.—An alien shall be eligible for adjust-
ment of status if the alien was removed or volun-
tarily departed from the United States on or after 
September 25, 2016, if the alien— 
‘‘(A) applies from abroad; 
‘‘(B) was continuously physically present 
in the United States for a period of not less 
than 3 years before the date of removal or de-
parture; 
‘‘(C) had temporary protected status on 
such date, or was otherwise eligible, on such 
date, for temporary protected status notwith-
standing subsections (c)(1)(A)(iv) and (c)(3)(C) 
of section 244 of the Immigration and Nation-
ality Act (8 U.S.C. 1254a); and 
‘‘(D) the sole reason for the alien’s re-
moval or departure was— 
‘‘(i) that the alien was present in the 
United States after the expiration of the 
designation of that foreign state (or part 
thereof) under section 244(b)(3)(B) of the 
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Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 
1254a(b)(3)(B)); or 
‘‘(ii) in the case of a voluntary depar-
ture, the alien did so on the basis of the 
Secretary’s determination to terminate 
such designation. 
‘‘(3) DED ALIENS PREVIOUSLY REMOVED OR 
DEPARTED.—An alien shall be eligible for adjust-
ment of status if the alien was removed or volun-
tarily departed from the United States on or after 
September 28, 2016, if the alien— 
‘‘(A) applies from abroad; 
‘‘(B) is under a grant of Deferred En-
forced Departure as of September 28, 2016; 
‘‘(C) was continuously physically present in 
the United States for a period of not less than 
3 years before the date of removal or departure; 
and 
‘‘(D) the sole reason for the alien’s re-
moval or departure— 
‘‘(i) was that the alien was present in 
the United States after the expiration of 
the deferral of enforced departure directed 
in the Presidential Memorandum on De-
ferred Enforced Departure for Liberians 
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issued on September 28, 2016, or any sub-
sequent extension of such deferral; or 
‘‘(ii) in the case of a voluntary depar-
ture, the alien did so on the basis of the 
President’s determination to terminate 
such presidential memorandum or exten-
sion. 
‘‘(d) WAIVER AUTHORIZED.—Notwithstanding any 
provision of the Immigration and Nationality Act, an alien 
who fails to meet the continuous physical presence require-
ment under paragraph (2) of subsection (c) shall be con-
sidered eligible for status adjustment as provided in this 
section if the Attorney General or the Secretary deter-
mines that the removal of the alien from the United States 
would result in extreme hardship to the alien, their spouse, 
their children, their parents, or their domestic partner. 
‘‘(e) EFFECT
OF APPLICATION
ON CERTAIN OR-
DERS.—An alien present in the United States who has 
been ordered removed or has been granted voluntary de-
parture from the United States may, notwithstanding 
such order, apply for adjustment of status under this sec-
tion. Such alien shall not be required to file a separate 
motion to reopen, reconsider, or vacate the order of re-
moval. If the Secretary approves the application, the Sec-
retary shall cancel the order of removal. If the Secretary 
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