Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) said President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris' decision to grant Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to thousands of Lebanese living in the U.S. could tempt Hezbollah terrorists. He said it would “absolutely” protect him from deportation.
As reported by Breitbart News, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas announced TPS for approximately 11,000 Lebanese residents of the United States who would otherwise be deported. Those who obtain the TPS will be able to work in the United States until January 2026.
In response, Mr. Cotton sent a letter to Mr. Mayorkas warning that the Biden-Harris administration's decision to give TPS to Lebanese citizens posed a “grave risk to our national security.”
“We have seen a dramatic increase in unvetted illegal immigration as a result of your open border policies. Under the Biden-Harris administration, Border Patrol has “We encountered thousands of illegal immigrants from countries with which we have deep ties,” Cotton wrote.
in fact, Earlier this year, Border Patrol arrested a Lebanese man on the southern border who claimed to be affiliated with Hezbollah. And he came to America to make bombs. [Emphasis added]
Your department estimates that Granting TPS status would protect 11,000 Lebanese citizens from deportation, including undoubtedly many Hezbollah terrorists. This reckless policy puts public safety at risk. [Emphasis added]
Cotton told Mayorkas he should “rescind this decision before it goes into effect.”
“For Lebanese nationals who have a legal basis to remain in the United States and who can credibly argue that their lives are in danger if they return to Lebanon, your department will be able to evaluate their asylum claims on a case-by-case basis,” Cotton said. he wrote. . “This policy would be a much wiser and safer move than giving a flat TPS subsidy to all Lebanese.”
TPS was first created under the Immigration Act of 1990 to prevent federal immigration officials from deporting people from countries designated as experiencing famine, war, or natural disaster.
Since the Clinton administration, TPS has become a de facto amnesty program, with the Clinton, Bush, Obama, Trump, and now Biden-Harris administrations continually updating the program for different countries.
Approximately 900,000 foreign nationals currently living in the United States are protected from deportation by securing TPS. Most are from Venezuela, Haiti, El Salvador, Honduras and Ukraine.
John Binder is a reporter for Breitbart News. Please email jbinder@breitbart.com. Follow him on Twitter here.
