The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) is pushing President Joe Biden to offer Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to Palestinians living in the United States.
The organization wrote to Biden, asking the State Department and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to grant TPS to Palestinians.
They also requested Palestinians in the United States be offered Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) to protect against their deportation.
“We write to you today as representatives of Americans for Justice in Palestine Action (AJP Action) and the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) with deep concern for the wellbeing and fundamental rights of Palestinians residing in the United States,” the letter read. “We request the Biden Administration to extend Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and authorize Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) for Palestinians in the United States.”
“Our request is rooted in response to the persistent and deeply reprehensible genocidal actions of the far-right Israeli government, which, over the course of less than a month, have led to the devastating loss of more than 10,000 Palestinian civilians, including over 4,200 innocent children in Gaza. Our concern also extends to the escalating violence targeting Palestinians who live under Israeli apartheid policies in the occupied West Bank. These dire circumstances collectively create an environment where many Palestinians visiting and living in the United States fear for their safety and cannot safely return to their homeland.”
“In response to the ongoing humanitarian crisis, we implore the U.S. government to provide a temporary reprieve from deportation for Palestinians residing in the United States, granting them the opportunity to continue their lives and employment without the constant specter of removal. TPS and DED have been proven to be effective mechanisms that offer sanctuary and security to vulnerable communities confronting crises across the globe,” the letter added.
The letter condemned Rep. Ryan Zinke’s (R-MT) legislation that would deport Palestinians from the U.S.
“This legislation keeps America safe. I don’t trust the Biden Administration any more than I do the Palestinian Authority to screen who is allowed to come into the United States,” Zinke said in a press release. “This is the most anti-Hamas immigration legislation I have seen and it’s well deserved. Given the circumstances, the threats to our immigration system and the history of terrorists abusing refugee, asylum and visa processes all over the world, the requirements in this bill are necessary to keep Americans safe. This bill does exactly that.”
CAIR asserted in the letter that Zinke’s “proposal seeks to ban Palestinians from entering the United States and possibly expel those who are already here. We firmly believe that such a legislative measure, rooted in fear and exclusion, fundamentally contradicts the principles of compassion, justice, and equality that should guide our nation’s policies.”
