TPS Alliance Statement on Menendez Bill

Nationwide- On Monday January 25th, US Senator Bob Menendez of New Jersey introduced legislation which would provide Temporary Protected Status to more than 200,000 Venezuelans currently residing in the United States. This news comes just one week after former US President Donald Trump issued an 18 month Deferred Enforced Departure status for Venezuelans on his last day in office.

In response to this recent effort from Senate Democrats, members of the National TPS Alliance made the following statement:

“We recognize that there is a need to provide immediate relief for Venezuelans, and we join in any and all efforts to provide it, but we would hope Congress takes additional steps to immediately advance the rights of existing TPS holders, and we implore President Biden to use maximal use of existing TPS authority to benefit the largest number of immigrants. We join in supporting Senator Menendez legislation, and we ask him to join us in calling upon President Biden to restore and expand the TPS program to include Venezuelans and other countries who have been recently impacted by political and natural disasters.” -Elsa Valle, TPS Holder, New Jersey

“As the Senate moves forward with legislation addressing the much-needed relief for the Venezuelan community, we want to remind members of the US Senate that there is a bipartisan consensus that existing TPS holders should be granted green cards so that our families can enjoy equal rights under the law, and we want to remind President Biden that action to move our families out of legal purgatory should not wait.” -Erasmo Ramos, TPS Holder, New Jersey

“Neither Senate legislation nor executive action from the Biden administration should be contingent on other factors. We will work with any and all senators willing to move with all due speed to take urgent action on behalf of our families. Equal rights for our community are long overdue.”-Jessika Girón, TPS Holder, New Jersey

TPS Alliance Statement on Menendez Bill

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