A group of Democratic senators is persistently urging President-elect Joe Biden (D) to expand deportation protections for illegal aliens ahead of President-elect Donald Trump's next term.
On Monday, seven senators sent the following report: letter Urge Biden for reelection Temporary protection status “Available for all eligible countries, please consider offering.” Postponement of forced departure. ”
“There is a risk of being put back into a dire situation.”
TPS allows foreign nationals from designated countries to temporarily reside in the United States. Countries that are deemed unsafe for the return of their citizens due to ongoing conflicts, environmental disasters or other “extraordinary and temporary circumstances” will be added to the list.
Eligible individuals will not be deported and may be granted permission to work and travel during their stay.
Currently, 17 countries are designated as TPS, including Afghanistan, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Syria, Ukraine, and Venezuela, according to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
The TPS status of the above countries is scheduled to expire in 2025.
Over the past year, numerous violent gang members from Venezuela have entered the United States and set up operations in multiple states. Democratic senators did not specifically call for an extension of TPS for Venezuelans, but in Monday's letter they suggested that Biden should continue to provide protections to “all eligible countries.”
“We urge your Administration to provide critical protections through TPS to targeted countries or parts of countries, reducing deportation while allowing these individuals to continue working and contributing to the economy. If TPS is not an option, we urge the government to provide protection for vulnerable non-citizens through DED,” the letter said.
In addition to granting TPS status to many countries, Biden also expanded DED to foreign nationals in Lebanon, Hong Kong, and Palestine. These protections are scheduled to expire in January 2026, February 2025, and August 2025, respectively.
USCIS says DED is “not a specific immigration status,” but it protects eligible individuals from deportation.
Democratic senators also called on Biden to “expedite the processing of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) benefit applications” and “prioritize the adjudication of pending asylum claims.”
The letter to the president includes Richard Durbin of Illinois, Cory Booker of New Jersey, Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada, Tammy Duckworth of Illinois, Maisie Hirono of Hawaii, and Ben Ben of New Mexico. It was signed by Democratic Sen. Ray Luján and Alex Padilla of California.
Wednesday event hosted by Cortez Masto, Ray Luján and Padilla press conferencefurther pressured Biden to take action.
“There are thousands of immigrant families from countries clearly covered by TPS who are at risk of being sent back to deplorable conditions,” Cortes Masto said. “Many of these immigrants, like many Dreamers, have lived and worked in our communities for years. President Biden needs to act now to protect these immigrant communities and keep families together. Should.”
President Trump has already said he intends to “work with Democrats on a plan” to allow Dreamers to remain in the United States and gain legal status.
However, Cortez Masto said at a news conference that he was skeptical that President Trump would follow through on that promise.
“To ensure the safety and security of immigrant communities across the country, we urge President Biden to take steps to designate, redesignate, and extend TPS for Ecuador, Nicaragua, and El Salvador, and to complete the DACA process,” Luján said. We request that this be expedited.” I will not be silent when it comes to protecting immigrant families, and I will continue to fight to protect the most vulnerable. ”
Padilla criticized President Trump's mass deportation plan, calling it “immoral” and “revoking the legal status and work authorization of these individuals.” He argued that the initiative would “eviscerate a critical sector of the workforce.”
There is currently no indication that the Biden administration plans to take the requested action.
The White House did not respond to requests for comment. fox news digital.
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