60 Democrats ask Biden to give Palestinians in the US protected status

A group of 60 congressional Democrats is asking President Biden to give Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and Deferred Enforcement Departure (DED) to Palestinians in the United States. Reps. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., Jan Schakowsky, D-Ill., and Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., are leading the effort.

If approved, TPS and DED would allow Palestinians in the United States, including students, tourists, and workers, to stay in the country, even if their visa expires. Palestinians granted TPS and DED would also be allowed to work legally.

Temporary Protected Status is granted when the Secretary of Homeland Security determines conditions in a country temporarily prevent its citizens from returning safely. Those conditions include armed conflict and environmental disasters.

There are currently 16 countries designated for TPS including Ukraine, Venezuela and Syria.

Deferred Enforcement Departure is granted at the discretion of the president and protects certain individuals from deportation. The U.S. grants DED to nationals from Liberia and Hong Kong.

“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,” the lawmakers said in a letter to the president.

Durbin is the only senator calling for a cease-fire in Gaza. He said it should be done on the condition that all Israeli hostages are released immediately.

“The humanitarian crisis in Gaza is awful,” Durbin told reporters. “I’m in touch with doctors that are, three friends of mine who are doctors in Chicago, and the conditions are horrendous. Children and women are really suffering in the worst.”

In 2022, the State Department issued 7,241 non-immigrant visas to individuals holding Palestinian Authority travel documents. The lawmakers said that number makes it clear that the number of beneficiaries would be small. As an example, 243,000 Venezuelans have Temporary Protected Status and an estimated 472,000 are eligible.