U.S. Representatives Darren Soto and Debbie Wasserman Schultz, both Florida Democrats, led a letter to President Joe Biden and U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas urging the Department to extend and redesignate Venezuela for Temporary Protected Status.
Currently, the 2023 redesignation is set to expire on April 2, 2025, and the 2021 extension is set to expire on September 10, 2025.
In addition to Reps. Soto and Wasserman Schultz, the letter was signed by Florida Reps. Kathy Castor, Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, Lois Frankel, Maxwell Alejandro Frost, and Frederica Wilson, as well as California Rep. Nanette Barragán, New York Rep. Adriano Espaillat, Texas Rep. Sylvia R. Garcia, Illinois Rep. Delia C. Ramirez, California Rep. Juan Vargas, and New York Rep. Nydia Velázquez.
From the Democratic congressional letter:
“Political instability, endemic corruption, and repression under Maduro’s authoritarian regime has led to massive food and medicine shortages, with millions living in poverty and suffering from food insecurity. Venezuela’s economy has contracted by more than 80% since 2014, which is more than twice the magnitude of the Great Depression in the United States,” wrote the Members. “Due to the ongoing crisis in Venezuela, Venezuelans have consistently been the leading nationality requesting asylum in the United States since 2016. As of June 2023, U.N. agencies believe that over 7.3 million Venezuelans have fled the country, many of whom have resettled in neighboring countries like Colombia and Brazil.”
“The number of displaced individuals from Venezuela only continues to grow after the undemocratic and fraudulent elections held on July 28, 2024. The United States and many other countries have rightfully rejected Maduro’s false claims of victory, noting that these results were ‘deeply flawed, yielding an announced outcome that does not represent the will of the Venezuelan people,’ and recognized opposition candidate Edmundo González Urrutia as president-elect,” continued the Members. “The United States has imposed targeted sanctions in response to the Maduro regime’s brutal repression…”
“Given Venezuela’s increased instability and lack of safety, and within all applicable rules and regulations, we strongly urge your full and fair consideration of an early extension and redesignation of Venezuela for TPS to ensure stability and certainty of the program. We also ask that you continue to provide safety and support to Venezuelans fleeing the political, economic and humanitarian crisis currently plaguing their home. Finally, in light of the inhumane conditions in Venezuela, we ask that you suspend planned nonemergency repatriation of Venezuelans who claim a credible fear of facing repression, imprisonment, or torture upon their return.”
