Congressman Dan Goldman Continues Push for Biden Administration to Immediately Grant Temporary Protected Status to Venezuelan Migrants

Over 113,000 Migrants Have Arrived in New York Since Spring 2022, Significant Population from Venezuela 

Temporary Protect Status Would Expedite Work Authorization for Venezuelan Migrants, Allowing Them to Provide for Their Families, Alleviating Strain on City Resources  

TPS and Work Authorization Leading Issues Among New Migrants and Business Community Leaders 

Read the Letter Here

Washington, DC – Congressman Dan Goldman (NY-10) joined Congressman Adriano Espaillat (NY-13) and Congresswoman María Salazar (FL-27) in calling on the Biden Administration to use its executive authority to redesignate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to all Venezuelan immigrants to the United States. Currently, TPS benefits only apply to Venezuelan immigrants who arrived prior to March 9, 2021. The extension of TPS to all new Venezuelan migrants would allow thousands of migrants in New York City who have arrived since then to obtain legal work and begin providing for themselves and their families.  

“The current situation in Venezuela is dire,” wrote the lawmakers. “Rampant corruption, government-sponsored repression and human rights violations, widespread gang violence, and massive hyperinflation have resulted in a monumental economic and political collapse that has caused over seven million Venezuelans to flee the country since 2015. In turn, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has categorized the situation in Venezuela as the ‘largest external displacement crisis in the world,’ second only to Ukraine.” 

TPS is a form of humanitarian relief that allows individuals from countries designated by the Secretary of Homeland Security to live and work lawfully in the United States when they cannot return safely to their country of origin due to armed conflict, natural disasters, or other extraordinary conditions. Those who appear to be eligible for TPS are subject to expedited work authorization and a designation of TPS is not subject to judicial review.  

“Although TPS is only available for Venezuelans who have maintained a continuous physical residence in the U.S. since before March 9, 2021, the conditions that led to the previous designation of Venezuela for TPS have continued to worsen,” the lawmakers continued. “The ongoing humanitarian crisis in Venezuela warrants a favorable exercise of discretion for the redesignation of Venezuela for TPS. Therefore, we strongly encourage the administration to redesignate Venezuelans for TPS status by extending TPS eligibility to all Venezuelan nationals who have been in the U.S. since September 2023.” 

Currently migrants must wait at least 180 days before they are eligible for work authorization, forcing new arrivals to rely on public services for food, shelter, and healthcare. Usually, because of technical issues and delays in processing work authorization requests, this time period is often longer. These extended wait times prevent hundreds of thousands of asylum applicants from legally working and providing for themselves. This extended waiting period also places undue strain on business communities who are in need of additional workers to combat the ongoing labor shortage.  

Congressman Dan Goldman has been laser-focused on addressing the influx of migrants to New York City and creating a fairer, more humane immigration system throughout his first term. Earlier this year, Congressman Goldman led the call for the Biden Administration to extend TPS designations to Venezuela, El Salvador, Honduras, Nepal, and Nicaragua alongside Congresswoman María Salazar, and business and labor leaders.  

Read the letter here and below:  

Dear President Biden, Secretary Mayorkas, and Director Jaddou: 

We members of Congress write today in a bipartisan fashion to urge the administration to expeditiously use its statutory authority to redesignate, for Temporary Protected Status (TPS), Venezuelan nationals who have been continuously residing or physically present in the United States since September 2023. 

The current situation in Venezuela is dire. Rampant corruption, government-sponsored repression and human rights violations, widespread gang violence, and massive hyperinflation have resulted in a monumental economic and political collapse that has caused over seven million Venezuelans to flee the country since 2015. In turn, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has categorized the situation in Venezuela as the “largest external displacement crisis in the world,” second only to Ukraine. These immigrant families have continually fled escalating violence government persecution, crushing poverty, malnutrition, and absences of medicine and essential services in Venezuela, brought about by what economists from Harvard University and the International Monetary Fund have described as the “single largest economic collapse outside of the war in [over 40] years.” In reflection of this, the New York Times has documented how “tens of thousands” of Venezuelan migrants—often families with children—have crossed rivers, scaled mountains, and traversed the dangerous “Darien Gap” in Panama hopes of reaching safety in the U.S. In light of this ongoing situation, it is our view that the U.S. should treat these Venezuelan migrants with the utmost compassion, dignity, and respect. 

Congress has provided the Secretary of Homeland Security with the statutory authority to designate or redesignate a foreign state for TPS. Currently, immigrants from sixteen countries, including Venezuela, have been designated for TPS by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), subject to various parameters. However, under Venezuela’s present TPS designation, Venezuelan immigrants who arrived in the U.S. after March 8, 2021, remain ineligible to apply for or receive TPS in the U.S.—even if they meet all other TPS eligibility criteria. 

Although TPS is only available for Venezuelans who have maintained a continuous physical residence in the U.S. since before March 9, 2021, the conditions that led to the previous designation of Venezuela for TPS have continued to worsen. The ongoing humanitarian crisis in Venezuela warrants a favorable exercise of discretion for the redesignation of Venezuela for TPS. Therefore, we strongly encourage the administration to redesignate Venezuelans for TPS status by extending TPS eligibility to all Venezuelan nationals who have been in the U.S. since September 2023. 

We, as both Democratic and Republican leaders in Congress, urge you to protect displaced Venezuelans currently residing in the U.S., and we look forward to your prompt response on this matter. 

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