(Washington, DC, February 25, 2005)—Delegate to Congress Donna Christensen announced today that she was informed by officials of the Department of Homeland Security that the Bush Administration will not extend the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) that was granted to Montserratians nationals since 1997.  The TPS status, granted to persons displaced because of the volcano, will expire on Sunday.

“This is very disappointing to me because my colleagues and I, including Congressman Charlie Rangel and Senators Charles Schumer and Ted Kennedy have been pressing President Bush and former Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge to reverse the order issued last July, to end TPS for Montserrat Nationals,” Christensen said.  “I was hopeful, when I attended a meeting at the White House last month and brought the matter to the attention of Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and also sent her a copy of a letter to President Bush signed by 36 members of the Congressional Black Caucus, that the White House would have precipitated a change of heart,” Christensen also said.

The end of TPS will mean that the approximately 323 Montserrat nationals living
in various parts of the country, including an unspecified number in the Virgin Islands will have to depart the US on or before Sunday, February 27th. 

“We have done everything we could, including sponsor legislation in both the House and U.S. Senate to get the White House and the Department of Homeland Security to change their minds and further extend TPS for Montserratians as they have for other foreign nationals, but our pleas have sadly fallen on deaf ears,” Christensen said.  “It is still not safe for these people to return to Montserrat and the option of moving to England is not realistic,”  Christensen concluded.