Congressional Democrats are reportedly planning on sending a letter to President Biden encouraging him to “designate the Palestinian territories for Temporary Protected Status,” and allow “foreign nationals” from those areas to stay in the United States.
The draft letter, obtained by The Daily Caller, is reportedly backed by Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Reps. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) and Jan Schakowsky (D-IL).
The Daily Caller’s Chief National Correspondent Henry Rodgers said that the push from the Democrats was a call to “open the flood gates for Palestinians to come into the U.S.”
NEW: A Senate source tells me Sen. Durbin, Congresswoman Jayapal and Congresswoman Schakowsky are circulating this letter calling to open the flood gates for Palestinians to come into the U.S.: @DailyCaller pic.twitter.com/GjV6T5fDXa
— Henry Rodgers (@henryrodgersdc) November 7, 2023
The letter comes after the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas attacked Israel last month, murdering 1,400 Israelis, prompting Israel to take action against the group in response.
“We urge your Administration to designate the Palestinian territories for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and/or authorize Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) for Palestinians present in the United States,” the lawmakers wrote. “As you know, TPS and DED offer temporary relief from removal and work authorization for eligible foreign nationals who are unable to return safely to their home countries or part of a country. In light of ongoing armed conflict, Palestinians already in the United States should not be forced to return to the Palestinian territories, consistent with President Biden’s stated commitment to protecting Palestinian civilians.”
Notably, the letter did not ask for the same protections for Israeli nationals and did not mention the hundreds of thousands of Israelis that have been displaced from their homes as a result of repeated terrorist attacks on the country’s northern and southern borders.
“U.S. Department of State statistics indicate that 7,241 nonimmigrant visas were issued to individuals holding Palestinian Authority (PA) travel documents in 2022, the most recent year for which such data is available,” the letter said. “While the number of non-immigrant visas issued cannot provide an exact approximation of the number of Palestinians that would be eligible for TPS or DED, it makes clear that the number of beneficiaries would be small, while the benefit could be lifesaving. TPS or DED would enable Palestinians currently present in the U.S., including students, tourists, and workers, to be protected from a dangerous return to their homeland while affording them the ability to remain safely in the U.S. and to work legally to support themselves and their families.”
“As such, we urge your Administration to designate the Palestinian territories for TPS and/or to authorize DED for Palestinians in the United States without delay,” the letter concluded. “Thank you for your consideration of this request.”
