A group of Democratic senators is relentlessly pushing President Joe Biden (D) to extend deportation protections to illegal aliens ahead of President-elect Donald Trump’s upcoming term.
On Monday, seven senators sent a letter to Biden, urging him to redesignate Temporary Protected Status “for All Eligible Countries and Consider Providing Deferred Enforced Departure.”
‘At risk of being sent back to horrific conditions.’
TPS allows foreign nationals from designated countries to remain in the United States for a temporary period of time. Countries are added to the list when it is deemed unsafe for their citizens to return due to ongoing conflicts, environmental disasters, or other “extraordinary and temporary conditions.”
Eligible individuals cannot be deported and may be granted work and travel authorizations during their stay.
According to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, there are currently 17 countries designated for TPS, including Afghanistan, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Syria, Ukraine, and Venezuela.
TPS status is slated to expire for the above-mentioned nations in 2025.
Over the past year, many violent gang members from Venezuela have infiltrated the U.S. and set up operations in several states. While the Democratic senators did not specifically call for TPS to be extended for Venezuelan nationals, their Monday letter indicated Biden should continue providing protections for “all eligible countries.”
“We urge your administration to offer vital protections via TPS for eligible countries or parts of countries, providing relief from deportation while allowing these individuals to continue working and contributing to our economy. Where TPS is not an option, we strongly urge the administration to protect qualified vulnerable noncitizens through DED,” the letter read.
In addition to granting TPS status to many countries, Biden also extended DED to foreign nationals from Lebanon, Hong Kong, and Palestine. Those protections are scheduled to expire in January 2026, February 2025, and August 2025 respectively.
The USCIS states that DED “is not a specific immigration status,” but it shields eligible individuals from deportation.
Democratic senators also called for Biden to “Expedite the Processing of Benefit Requests for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) Recipients” and “Prioritize Adjudication of Pending Asylum Claims.”
The letter to the president was signed by Democratic Senators Richard Durbin of Illinois, Cory Booker of New Jersey, Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada, Tammy Duckworth of Illinois, Mazie Hirono of Hawaii, Ben Ray Luján of New Mexico, and Alex Padilla of California.
On Wednesday, Cortez Masto, Ray Luján, and Padilla hosted a press conference, further pressuring Biden to act.
“There are thousands of immigrant families from countries who clearly qualify for TPS that are at risk of being sent back to horrific conditions,” Cortez Masto stated. “Many of these immigrants, along with so many of our Dreamers, have been living and working in our communities for years. President Biden should act now to protect these immigrant communities and keep families together.”
Trump has already indicated that he is willing to “work with the Democrats on a plan” that would allow Dreamers to remain in the U.S. and obtain legal status.
However, Cortez Masto stated during the press conference that she is skeptical Trump will follow through on that promise.
Luján said, “To ensure the safety and security of immigrant communities across the country, we are urging President Biden to take steps to designate, redesignate, and extend TPS for Ecuador, Nicaragua, and El Salvador, as well as expedite the process for DACA recipients to renew their status. I will not remain silent when it comes to protecting our immigrant families and will continue to fight to protect our most vulnerable.”
Padilla called Trump’s mass deportation plans “immoral” for “taking away lawful status and work authorization for these individuals.” He claimed the effort would “be gutting critical sectors of our workforce.”
There is currently no indication that the Biden administration plans to take the requested actions.
The White House did not respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.
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