Vice President holds meeting with Janet Napolitano, Secretary of Homeland Security of the United States
Office of Citizenship and Immigration Services
Washington D.C., June 14, 2010.
With the aim of monitoring the request of the Government of Guatemala for the extension of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Guatemalans in the United States, Vice President Espada met with Secretary of Homeland Security, Janet Napolitano, the Director of Office of Citizenship and Immigration Services, Mr. Alejandro Mayorkas and Deputy Assistant Secretary for International Affairs, Mark Koumans. The Guatemalan delegation consisted of the Vice Leader Dr. Espada, Deputy Foreign Minister, Miguel Angel Ibarra and the Ambassador of Guatemala in the United States, Francisco Villagran.
As part of the application process, Vice President Espada presented an update of the damage caused by recent natural disasters affecting the country. As the leader of the National Coordinator for Disaster Reduction (CONRED), the Vice President outlined the Government's efforts to timely respond to victims of Tropical Storm Agatha and activity of the volcano Pacaya. The Vice President said that by implementing early warning systems, it was possible to safeguard the lives of many people at risk. However, Dr. Espada acknowledged that these events left in their wake regrettable loss of life and serious damage to the infrastructure.
For her part, Secretary Janet Napolitano expressed solidarity with the country and said her office is evaluating the request of the Government of Guatemala for the extension of TPS. The Director of the Office of Citizenship and Immigration Services, Alejandro Mayorkas said that simultaneously with this assessment, the U.S. government decided to grant certain benefits to Guatemalan migrants, including the following measures:
a) Granting of an application for change or extension of status by a Guatemalan citizen who is in the United States today, even when the application is submitted after the authorized period of admission has expired;
b) Extension of a conditional residence permit issued by the Office of Citizenship and Immigration Services;
c) Extension of the document Venia Reentry and expedited processing of applications for travel permits
d) Processing and accelerated approval, where possible, requests of students with F-1 visa authorization for employment outside the campus;
e) Expedited processing for immediate relatives of U.S. citizens and legal permanent residents;
f) Processing Accelerated Employment Authorization Document, whenever possible, and
g) Assistance in coordination with the Department of State, legal permanent residents stranded abroad who have no documents.
Secretary Janet Napolitano reiterated the Vice President the American government's willingness to work together in areas of mutual interest, including the fight against drug trafficking, strengthening border control and promoting the rule of law in the region. The Secretariat Napolitano concluded, "Our goals are similar, the essence of governance is to improve the living conditions of citizens."
Under the same line, the Vice President Espada met with the Texas Congressman, Peter Olson, a member of the Homeland Security Committee in the U.S. Congress, with whom he discussed issues related to migration and border security.
With the aim of monitoring the request of the Government of Guatemala for the extension of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Guatemalans in the United States, Vice President Espada met with Secretary of Homeland Security, Janet Napolitano, the Director of Office of Citizenship and Immigration Services, Mr. Alejandro Mayorkas and Deputy Assistant Secretary for International Affairs, Mark Koumans. The Guatemalan delegation consisted of the Vice Leader Dr. Espada, Deputy Foreign Minister, Miguel Angel Ibarra and the Ambassador of Guatemala in the United States, Francisco Villagran.
As part of the application process, Vice President Espada presented an update of the damage caused by recent natural disasters affecting the country. As the leader of the National Coordinator for Disaster Reduction (CONRED), the Vice President outlined the Government's efforts to timely respond to victims of Tropical Storm Agatha and activity of the volcano Pacaya. The Vice President said that by implementing early warning systems, it was possible to safeguard the lives of many people at risk. However, Dr. Espada acknowledged that these events left in their wake regrettable loss of life and serious damage to the infrastructure.
For her part, Secretary Janet Napolitano expressed solidarity with the country and said her office is evaluating the request of the Government of Guatemala for the extension of TPS. The Director of the Office of Citizenship and Immigration Services, Alejandro Mayorkas said that simultaneously with this assessment, the U.S. government decided to grant certain benefits to Guatemalan migrants, including the following measures:
a) Granting of an application for change or extension of status by a Guatemalan citizen who is in the United States today, even when the application is submitted after the authorized period of admission has expired;
b) Extension of a conditional residence permit issued by the Office of Citizenship and Immigration Services;
c) Extension of the document Venia Reentry and expedited processing of applications for travel permits
d) Processing and accelerated approval, where possible, requests of students with F-1 visa authorization for employment outside the campus;
e) Expedited processing for immediate relatives of U.S. citizens and legal permanent residents;
f) Processing Accelerated Employment Authorization Document, whenever possible, and
g) Assistance in coordination with the Department of State, legal permanent residents stranded abroad who have no documents.
Secretary Janet Napolitano reiterated the Vice President the American government's willingness to work together in areas of mutual interest, including the fight against drug trafficking, strengthening border control and promoting the rule of law in the region. The Secretariat Napolitano concluded, "Our goals are similar, the essence of governance is to improve the living conditions of citizens."
Under the same line, the Vice President Espada met with the Texas Congressman, Peter Olson, a member of the Homeland Security Committee in the U.S. Congress, with whom he discussed issues related to migration and border security.
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