For Immediate Release:
October 5, 2020
Media Contact:
Erik Villalobos, (516) 660-4508, evillalobos@ndlon.org
Martín Pineda, (562) 916-5650
Minneapolis welcomes Immigrant Families on Nationwide Bus Tour, to Demand Permanent Residency, Stand Against Racial Injustice and get out the Vote!
Minneopolis– On October 4, 2020, TPS families on the famous bus known as ‘La Libertad’ arrive in Minneapolis for a vehicle caravan and a press conference.
Along with COPAL MN, the caravan was led to support the get out the vote efforts in Minnesota and ended with a TPS led press conference in front of El Guanaco Bakery and Cafe, a local Salvadoran restaurant owned by TPS holders.
TPS Holders made the following statements:
“It’s an honor to have this bus ‘La Libertad’ in the state of Minnesota where there are approximately 3,000 TPS holders. This bus is a symbol of our persistence of remaining in this state and in this country.”– Elmer Santacruz, Salvadoran TPS Holder from Minnesota
“Many are telling us that TPS has the word ‘Temporary’ in it, and that because of that- we were not meant to remain in this country. But let me say to you all that none of what we have constructed in this country for the past 20 years, such as the roads, buildings and schools that we’ve built- are temporary! I’ve had TPS since 2001 and have worked in the community for a longtime and I believe that I have had an impact that is beyond temporary!”– Walter Ayala Ortiz, Salvadoran TPS Holder from Minnesota
“I feel so delighted to be traveling on this bus to make my voice heard across the country to raise the consciousness of all of those who are still uncertain about what to do tomorrow. Today is when we must raise our voices because the sacrifices we have made for our families with all of the work that we have done in this country is why we deserve a permanent residency!– Lorena Zepeda, TPS Holder, Ramos v. Nielsen Plaintiff and ‘Road to Justice’ Rider
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The National TPS Alliance is a grassroots organization advocating for the permanent residency of beneficiaries of Temporary Protected Status from the countries of El Salvador, Honduras, Haiti, Nicaragua, Nepal, Syria, Sudan, South Sudan, Somalia, Guinea, Sierra Leone and Yemen