Title: Continue American Safety Act (CASA)
Policy area: Immigration

Summary:
Continue American Safety Act (CASA)
This bill extends temporary protected status (TPS) for certain designated countries until January 21, 2021. It also grants TPS to nationals of Guatemala who meet certain requirements for 18 months after the enactment of this bill.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6325 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 6325

To extend the period of designation for certain countries for purposes 
     of providing temporary protected status to nationals of those 
                   countries, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 10, 2018

Ms. Jackson Lee (for herself, Mr. Cicilline, Ms. Norton, Mr. Payne, Ms. 
 Jayapal, Ms. Maxine Waters of California, and Mr. Crowley) introduced 
    the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the 
                               Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To extend the period of designation for certain countries for purposes 
     of providing temporary protected status to nationals of those 
                   countries, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Continue American Safety Act 
(CASA)''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    The Congress finds the following:
            (1) After a magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck Haiti in 
        January 2010 that killed more than 160,000 people and displaced 
        1.5 million, there are still over 50,000 people living in 
        deteriorating and dangerous conditions in displacement camps 
        because the country cannot handle the situation adequately.
            (2) Temporary protected status (referred to in this Act as 
        ``TPS'') provides a temporary safe haven for refugees who 
        cannot safely return to their home country, or whose home 
        country cannot reabsorb them due to certain circumstances.
            (3) TPS enables law-abiding refugees seeking safer and 
        happier lives in the United States.
            (4) The TPS program does not endorse unlawful behavior and 
        thus enforces ineligibility for individuals convicted of felony 
        and violent crimes.
            (5) Haiti, El Salvador, Syria, Nepal, Honduras, Yemen, 
        Somalia, Sudan, Nicaragua, and South Sudan all meet the 
        statutory criteria requirements for TPS.

SEC. 3. EXTENSION OF DESIGNATION FOR TPS.

    (a) In General.--Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the 
designation under section 244(b) of the Immigration and Nationality Act 
of a country described in subsection (b) may not end before January 21, 
2021.
    (b) Countries Described.--The countries described in this 
subsection are--
            (1) El Salvador;
            (2) Haiti;
            (3) Honduras;
            (4) Nepal;
            (5) Nicaragua;
            (6) Somalia;
            (7) Sudan;
            (8) South Sudan;
            (9) Syria; and
            (10) Yemen.

SEC. 4. DESIGNATION FOR PURPOSES OF GRANTING TEMPORARY PROTECTED 
              STATUS.

    (a) Designation.--
            (1) In general.--For purposes of section 244 of the 
        Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1254a), Guatemala 
        shall be treated as if it had been designated under subsection 
        (b) of such section, subject to the provisions of this section.
            (2) Period of designation.--The initial period of such 
        designation shall begin on the date of the enactment of this 
        Act and shall remain in effect for 18 months.
    (b) Aliens Eligible.--In applying section 244 of such Act pursuant 
to the designation made under this section, subject to section 
244(c)(3) of such Act, an alien who is a national of Guatemala shall be 
deemed to satisfy the requirements of section 244(c)(1) of such Act 
only if the alien--
            (1) has been continuously physically present in the United 
        States since June 2, 2018;
            (2) is admissible as an immigrant, except as otherwise 
        provided under section 244(c)(2)(A) of such Act, and is not 
        ineligible for temporary protected status under section 
        244(c)(2)(B) of such Act; and
            (3) registers for temporary protected status in a manner 
        that the Secretary of Homeland Security shall establish.
    (c) Consent To Travel Abroad.--The Secretary of Homeland Security 
shall give the prior consent to travel abroad described in section 
244(f)(3) of such Act to an alien who is granted temporary protected 
status pursuant to the designation made under this section, if the 
alien establishes to the satisfaction of the Secretary of Homeland 
Security that emergency and extenuating circumstances beyond the 
control of the alien require the alien to depart for a brief, temporary 
trip abroad. An alien returning to the United States in accordance with 
such an authorization shall be treated the same as any other returning 
alien provided temporary protected status under section 244 of such 
Act.
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