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Democrats urge Biden administration to grant refugee status for Palestinians fleeing Gaza
Palestinians in Gaza are facing an unrelenting barrage of violence, a letter written to Antony Blinken stated.
Gaza City on June.23, 2024. / Reuters/Mahmoud Issa
A group of nearly 70 Democrats has urged Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to consider granting refugee status for Palestinians looking to escape the violence in Gaza.
A letter was sent to Blinken and Mayorkas on June.20 by Indian-American Representative Pramila Jayapal, Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin, Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and Representatives Greg Casar and Debbie Dingell, in this regard.
The letter urged the Joe Biden administration to grant refugee status to certain Palestinians fleeing Gaza, specifically those who have US citizen or lawful permanent resident family members.
They have expressed strong support for a Priority-2 (P-2) designation under the US Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP). This designation would apply to Palestinians affected by the ongoing violence in Gaza who are relatives of US citizens and lawful permanent residents. The Administration is reportedly considering this designation.
“Palestinians in Gaza are facing an unrelenting barrage of violence, in addition to a lack of food, water, and sanitation as entire towns have been destroyed,” said Congresswoman Jayapal.
Jayapal emphasized that establishing a P-2 designation for certain Palestinians to legally enter the country as refugees would be a crucial step in saving innocent lives during this critical time. She called on the administration to swiftly implement this policy to reunite separated families, while also pursuing a permanent ceasefire, the reconstruction of civilian infrastructure in Gaza, and the rapid delivery of humanitarian aid.
Since the conflict in Gaza began, numerous congressional offices have received urgent pleas for help from constituents desperate to reunite with their loved ones. While they acknowledge the Biden administration's efforts to evacuate American citizens from Gaza, they stress that without avenues for Americans to petition for their relatives in Gaza, many families with strong connections to the US remain trapped in perilous conditions.
“Historically, the US has resettled very few Palestinian refugees, including only 56 refugees, or 0.09 percent of the total number of resettled refugees, in fiscal year 2023 and only 16 so far in fiscal year 2024,” the letter said.
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