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Democratic senators urge Joe Biden to protect immigrant families before Trump assumes office
“The window to secure and finalize your administration’s policies is closing rapidly,” the Senators warned in a letter to the current administration.
File photo. / Reuters
Ahead of the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump, US Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and six Senate Democrats have urged Joe Biden to take decisive action to protect immigrant families in the country.
In a letter sent on Dec.10, Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), and Alex Padilla (D-CA) joined Durbin in expressing concern about the potential impact of the incoming administration's immigration policies.
“As Senators who represent diverse states across our nation and who collectively represent millions of immigrant families, we write to express our deep concern about the threat the incoming administration poses to immigrants in our communities,” the Senators wrote.
The letter warned of the consequences of mass deportations under the Trump administration, noting that such actions “would jeopardize the safety and security of millions of mixed-status families, sow deep distrust and fear in the communities we represent, and destabilize the US economy”.
While the Senators acknowledged the need for enhanced border security, they firmly opposed any measures contradicting “our nation’s core values”.
With limited time left in President Biden’s term, the Senators urged swift action. “The window to secure and finalize your administration’s policies is closing rapidly. We urge you to act decisively between now and the inauguration of the President-elect to complete the important work of the past four years and protect immigrant families,” they wrote.
The letter outlined key recommendations for the Biden administration, including:
- Designating and extending Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for all eligible countries and considering Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) as appropriate;
- Expediting the processing of benefit requests for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients;
- Protecting the ability for DACA holders and others to travel on advance parole;
- Prioritizing adjudication of pending asylum claims; and
- Finalizing the rule providing automatic extensions for those with work permits and prioritizing work permit processing.
The Senators concluded by reaffirming their support for President Biden’s leadership on immigration. “We stand ready to support you in these efforts and are committed to working together to ensure that these priorities are realized. Thank you for your continued leadership and dedication to the betterment of our nation.”
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