U.S. Sens. Marco Rubio and Robert ‘Bob’ Menendez asked the Biden administration to redesignate Temporary Protected Status for Venezuelans, which is set to end this fall.
The letter sent to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on Thursday cites the ongoing political and humanitarian situation under Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro as grounds for an extension of the temporary relief, which is set to expire on Sept. 9.
“The Maduro regime’s use of food as a weapon of social and political control has led millions of Venezuelans to suffer from food insecurity. This has only been exacerbated by the regime’s mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic. More than 6 million Venezuelans have fled the atrocious conditions in the country,” said Rubio, a Florida Republican, and Menendez, a Democrat from New Jersey.
“Extending this designation is absolutely essential for eligible Venezuelans currently in the United States who are unable to return to their homeland due to the dire conditions in that country.” The senators asked for the program to be extended 18 more months.
TPS for Venezuelans, which gives eligible migrants temporary relief from deportation and allows them to legally work in the U.S., was first granted by President Joe Biden in March 2021. It lasts up to 18 months with the possibility of being extended. The action was part of Biden’s campaign pledge to Miami’s sizable Venezuelan community. It took effect months after former President Donald Trump signed an executive order on his last night in office deferring the removal of Venezuelans for 18 months, through the Deferred Enforced Departure program.
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