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Per my compilation on DropBox for free downloading,
https://www.dropbox.com/s/nh87s3j5ptkr9vg/tps%20for%20haiti%27%20-%20selected%20refs%20to%201jun%2717%20leiderman.pdf?dl=0
here is something to consider: 

For several years, the United States has had a program of granting "Temporary Protected Status" [TPS] for foreigners who happen to be in the country at the time of a major disaster, or who arrive or are permitted to come shortly thereafter. 

Currently, there are approx. three hundred thousand foreign nationals legally residing here under TPS from several countries.  This is about as close as I know of any country recognizing what we might call "environmental refugees," while still not giving them official refugee status with a path to naturalized American citizenship.  A governmental report and analysis of this is at https://fas.org/sgp/crs/homesec/RS20844.pdf  The category is between that of "refugees" and "immigrant."  Does it exist in other countries?  I don't know.  Can we build on it for recognizing environmental refugees and promoting ecological restoration of damaged homelands?  I think it is worth a try. 

The current crisis here is about the periods of protection for TPS holders that is rapidly coming to termination for these hundreds of thousands.  My compilation focuses on Haitians.  Compilations on the others would be valuable especially because of the common environmental basis for granting temporary protected status. 

At the federal government level, the category seems humanitarian and compassionate for a superpower, up to a point.  But it is also subjective and vague for

a) initially determining and measuring environmental emergencies,
b) monitoring, evaluating and reaching no-spin consensus on the cessation of emergencies, and
c) ascertaining both quantitatively and qualitatively whether ecological restoration has bee sufficiently achieved to permit TPSers to "return" to home countries [the terminology runs the gamut from "repatriation," ot "deportation," to "expulsion."] 

Never mind that after several years' residing here, these foreign nationals have become functionally American...used to electricity, running water, clean air, employment, private transportation, vaccination, public schools, due process of law, etc. that are frequently absent in their home countries.  In other words, after awhile, these TPSers are no longer, "Haitian," "Salvadoran," and so on.   

This presents possibilities for action again forced migration.  I'll be glad to go into detail.

Thank you,

Stuart Leiderman

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