Ecuadorian Foreign Minister Gabriela Sommerfeld has recently formalized the request for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to the United States for Ecuadorian citizens residing irregularly in that country. This initiative arises in a context of increasing violence and clashes with organized crime gangs in Ecuador, classified by President Daniel Noboa as an “internal armed conflict”.
TPS is a measure that would allow affected Ecuadorians to access social security, formal jobs, and avoid deportation processes, while economically contributing to both Ecuador and the United States. This proposal adds to the current policies that offer TPS to citizens of Venezuela, Honduras, Nicaragua, and El Salvador due to similar situations in their countries of origin.
The request was sent to Homeland Security of the U.S. State Department, and the final decision on its approval lies with U.S. authorities. The measure seeks to provide stability and protection to Ecuadorians in an irregular situation and reflects the Ecuadorian government’s commitment to ensuring the safety and well-being of its citizens, both within and outside its borders.
