Today, it’s being reported that the Biden Administration is about to announce that it will designate Venezuela for Temporary Protected Status (TPS). This long-awaited designation will provide protection from deportation and permission to work for Venezuelans already in the U.S. whose deportation would further destabilize a country facing dangerous political conflict and unsafe conditions.
The following is a statement from Douglas Rivlin, Director of Communication for America’s Voice, in response to the recent news that Venezuela will receive a TPS designation:
Today we celebrate alongside the hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans who will now be granted protection from deportation and allowed to continue safely working, paying taxes and raising their families in the United States. For too long, Venezuelan immigrants have been living with the uncertainty and fear of being forcibly returned to Venezuela despite deteriorating conditions and the Coronavirus pandemic.
Already, the Center for American Progress estimates that TPS recipients and DACA holders contribute $17.4 billion in federal taxes each year and tens of thousands are sustaining the country as essential workers. Taking away the threat of deportation from these U.S. residents and allowing them to work legally – while regularly registering with the U.S. government – will benefit Venezuelans living here and the neighborhoods and communities in which they live. It will also help stabilize Venezuela and the region.This is the very scenario for which TPS was created, and we applaud the Biden administration for utilizing this tool to protect Venezuelans from being deported back to ongoing humanitarian crises and political instability. It is well within the Administration’s power to continue using TPS as a tool to address humanitarian and economic crises in other countries and it must do so.
Today we celebrate this win for Venezuelans living in the U.S., but Congress must be bold and take the next step: pass bills to expand protection to the millions of immigrants already living and working in the U.S., contributing to this country and serving on the frontlines of COVID-19.
