Angelica De La Cruz

May 18, 2017

Mid-term

Honduran Immigrants

Honduran Immigrants are a group of Hispanics that emigrate from Honduras to the United

States. Hondurans seek the same as other immigrants, an American dream that would help

support their families, keep them safe, and provide them with better living standards than in their

own home country. According to the World Bank, in 2014, 62.8% Hondurans were living in

poverty due to income inequality. These kinds of circumstances lead families in taking extreme

measures to support their families; so many times they immigrate to other countries. Around

more than 60% of the 573,000 Honduran immigrants live in the United States illegally. Having

Hondurans immigrate illegally to the United States can lead to deportation, court cases, and law

forms that can either affect their community in a positive or a negative way.

In addition, deportation has become a huge factor for many illegal immigrants. In many

cases, Honduran immigrants are denied bail and are detained without the right to obtain a lawyer.

However, on April 16, 2013, for the first time an immigration reform bill was introduced to the

senate in the 113th Unites States congress, the senate passed the bill, but the House of

Representatives revoked it and the bill discontinued. If the bill would have been enacted the

reform bill would have helped Honduran immigrants and other immigrants by gaining legal

status and eventually leading to citizenship. Even so, deportation continues to rise for Honduran

immigrants and as United States deports Honduran immigrants back to their home its taking

them down death row. Investigation has shown that Hondurans who have been deported have

been shortly murdered within days or months after their arrival. According to The Guardian, It

has been confirmed that in three separate cases Honduran men have been gunned down in their
hometowns just a couple of days from their arrival. Not only that, but in 2014, 83 deaths have

been confirmed after being deported back to their home. Besides deportation, some Supreme

Court cases have had a positive and negative affect on Honduran immigrants.

In many cases the Supreme Court declines to hear cases of Honduran immigrants. A court

case of Castro v. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) revolved around 28 women and 33

young children between the ages of 2-17 from Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala which

denied them an asylum and had them deported back to their country. These women who came

from Honduras and other states in Central America have immigrated to the U.S because they

were suffering from gender-based violence, including sexual assault, by men from whom they

could not escape (RT International, 2017) or targeted by gang members in their country because

they [were] single women residing without a man household member to protect them (RT

International, 2017). Nonetheless, these women were denied because they didnt hold enough

credible fear to keep them here in the United States. Another court case of Canales v. Novak,

were placed upon Honduran immigrants who had submitted prima facie for Temporary

Protective Status (TPS) and were denied, Novak (employee of TPS) didnt want to give them

benefits to receive temporary employment authorization due to the fact they were immigrants.

This court case succeeded and Honduran immigrants were given the TPS. Temporary Protective

Status is a form in which Honduran Immigrants benefit positively to stay in the U.S.

The Temporary Protective Status benefits many Honduran immigrants who deal with

domestic violence or experience some sort of danger in their home country. This temporarily

allows Hondurans to reside in the U.S with benefits of having a work permit, a place to live, and

the ability to apply to other forms that would allow them to remain in the U.S without fearing

deportation. This positively affects the Honduran community because it is helping those who
seek shelter from another country due to danger in their own country and allows them to live in

the U.S. The only downfall about this form is that it only gives this opportunity to those who

have experienced violence or threats. If a person is not a right candidate for this form they do

not get approved and could be in danger of deportation, but other than that I believe this is a

great opportunity for those Honduran immigrants who seek help.

In conclusion, Honduran immigrants immigrate to the United States to seek a better life.

They leave due to dangers and poverty they face in their country. There have been a few court

cases that win Honduran immigrant circumstances that help them with their current status. Other

court cases however, lose and Honduran immigrants are deported back to their country. Many

times when living in the U.S as illegal immigrants they fear deportation, but those Hondurans

who are in fear of returning to their home have the opportunity to apply to the Temporary

Protective Status form. This allows them to live in the U.S for a certain amount of time with

benefits and without fearing deportation. Honduras is a place with one of the highest crime rates

in the world. Therefore, being able to apply to TPS gives them benefits and can later give them

the opportunity to become residents of this country and many even citizenship.
 Citations

"Poverty Headcount Ratio at National Poverty Lines (% of Population)." The World Bank. The
World Bank Group, 2016. Web. 19 May 2017.
http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SI.POV.NAHC?locations=BS-HN.

Brodzinsky, Sibylla, and Ed Pilkington. "US Government Deporting Central American Migrants
to Their Deaths." The Guardian. Guardian News and Media, 12 Oct. 2015. Web. 19 May
2017. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/oct/12/obama-immigration-
deportations-central-america.

Supreme Court Declines to Hear Case of Illegal Immigrants Denied Asylum. RT International,
18 Apr. 2017, www.rt.com/usa/385105-scotus-rejected-asylum-immigrants/. Accessed 19
May 2017.

Canales v. Novak. IM-NY-0010-9000. (NY, 2000), University of Michigan law School. 19 May
2017. https://www.clearinghouse.net/detail.php?id=9590.

Temporary Protected Status Extended for Honduras. USCIS,

www.uscis.gov/news/temporary-protected-status-extended-honduras. Accessed 19 May
2017.