In the aftermath of the devastating floods in Nepal, Nepalis around the world have rallied to support families and communities as they grieve, recover, and rebuild. Here, in the United States, Nepali community members and allies are also advocating for a new Temporary Protected Status (TPS) designation for Nepal - temporary protection that would allow eligible Nepali nationals already in the United States to remain and work here while supporting Nepal's recovery from afar.
Asian Americans Advancing Justice Southern California (AJSOCAL) and United for TPS Nepal (UTPSN) helped secure a bipartisan Congressional Letter urging President Trump and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Mullin to create a new TPS designation for Nepal. More than 50 members of Congress have signed the letter, and more than 200 organizations have endorsed the effort.
There is one additional step that could significantly strengthen this effort: The Government of Nepal must formally request TPS from the United States.
Nepal made such a request following the 2015 earthquake. TPS is not foreign aid. It is temporary humanitarian protection for eligible nationals who are already in the United States when conditions in their home country make safe return difficult or impossible. TPS allows eligible individuals to remain and work in the United States while those conditions continue. For Nepal, that protection can also support recovery by allowing Nepalis here to continue helping families and communities at home.
This is a moment where Prime Minister Balendra Shah can stand by his recent comments to the United Nations General Assembly. While noting that Nepal contributes less than 0.1 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, he told the world: "We did not create this crisis, yet we are paying... a colossal price for it." He called on countries that contributed the most to the climate crisis, and those with greater capacity, to do more to support countries that suffer the price. He summed up Nepal's needs in six words: "relief, rehabilitation, reconstruction, responsibility, reparation, resilience." TPS rightfully belongs in that conversation.
Climate responsibility need not mean only grants and loans. It can also mean protecting citizens of climate-affected countries and giving them the ability to help their country recover from natural disasters. Requesting TPS would give the United States a concrete way to share responsibility and support Nepal as it recovers from a climate-driven disaster. As one of the world's largest historical carbon emitters, the United States has both the capacity and an opportunity to act. TPS would allow eligible Nepalis to remain safe in the United States, continue working, and help support families and communities rebuilding at home. Nepal can make this request from a position of strength and as part of its broader call for global climate responsibility.
For thousands of Nepalis already in the United States, this is not an abstract debate. Some have lost family members. Some no longer have homes to return to. Roads, bridges, livelihoods, and entire communities have been destroyed. Telling people in these circumstances simply to "go home" raises an obvious question: Go home to what?
TPS would allow eligible Nepalis to work legally, support themselves, and help their families rebuild. That also makes TPS economically valuable to Nepal. Nepal receives roughly $12 billion annually in remittances, including approximately $1.2 billion from the United States. That money pays for food, housing, education, and healthcare. After a disaster, it also rebuilds homes and livelihoods.
Data from the World Bank shows that remittances from the United States to Nepal increased by around 16 percent between 2016 and 2017, following Nepal's 2015 TPS designation. The connection is clear: Nepalis who can work legally in the United States are better positioned to support families back home. Following the 2015 earthquake, these remittances were pivotal to help households recover and rebuild. We can already see the same generous spirit of support from our community to help afflicted communities, and can project a similar outcome in remittance aid.
The potential impact today could be substantial. An estimated 20,000 to 30,000 Nepalis could benefit from a new designation, depending on eligibility requirements. Even a portion gaining work authorization could mean millions of additional dollars flowing to families and communities rebuilding in Nepal. Unlike a one-time aid package, those remittances continue month after month, for years.
The United States-based campaign has already built significant momentum. More than 200 organizations have expressed support for a new TPS designation, and more than 50 members of Congress, Republicans and Democrats, have joined the call. The Government of Nepal should now add its voice.
A formal request for TPS is consistent with Nepal's own call for climate justice. If Nepal is asking the world to share responsibility, reparation, and resilience, asking the United States to temporarily protect eligible Nepalis already here should be part of that effort. It costs Nepal little, protects its citizens, and strengthens their ability to help their families and their country rebuild.
Anil Shahi is a Founding Coordinator and Board Member of United for TPS Nepal, a community-led organization advocating for former Nepali TPS holders and their families.
Victoria "Nikki" Dominguez is the Managing Director of Policy at Asian Americans Advancing Justice Southern California, a social justice organization that works to protect and strengthen the rights and dignity of Asian American and Pacific Islander communities, particularly those most disadvantaged.
