Espaillat Leads Bipartisan Call on Biden Administration to Designate TPS for Ukraine. WASHINGTON, DC -- Today, Representative Adriano Espaillat (NY-13) led more than 40 of his House congressional colleagues in a bipartisan letter urging the Biden administration to designate Ukraine for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and provide Ukrainian students residing in the United States through F-1 visas special student relief (SSR).
“Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated on February 24th that more than 130 people were killed and over 300 people were wounded less than 24 hours after Russia’s military invasion of Ukraine. On February 27th Ukrainian officials stated that more than 350 civilians have been killed, including 14 children,” the letter reads. “Returning Ukrainian nationals residing in the United States to Ukraine during this ongoing conflict poses a very serious threat to their personal safety…[and] [i]nternational students from Ukraine residing in the United States should be provided this relief as Ukraine continues experiencing armed conflict.”
According to the U.S. Census' 2019 American Community Survey, there are 104,618 Ukrainian noncitizens (including over 100 DACA holders) in the United States who would benefit from TPS. SSR would protect nearly 2,000 F-1 Ukrainian international students.
“The United States has a moral and humanitarian responsibility to support Ukrainians during this ongoing conflict,” the letter concludes.
In addition to Representative Espaillat, this letter was also signed by Reps. James P. McGovern (MA-02), Richard E. Neal (MA-01), Jamie Raskin (MD-08), Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), Brendan F. Boyle (PA-02), Ro Khanna (CA-17), Ritchie Torres (NY-15), Jerry McNerney (CA-09), Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-05), Thomas R. Suozzi (NY-03), Rick Larsen (WA-02), Carolyn B. Maloney (NY-12), Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (FL-20), Jamaal Bowman, Ed.D. (NY-16), Nanette Diaz Barragán (CA-44), Mondaire Jones (NY-17), Bill Pascrell, Jr. (NJ-09), Earl Blumenauer (OR-03), Emanuel Cleaver, II (MO-05), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-00), Jimmy Panetta (CA-20), Sylvia R. Garcia (TX-29), Donald S. Beyer Jr. (VA-08), Joaquin Castro (TX-20), Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12), Mike Doyle (PA-18), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), Juan Vargas (CA-51), Jake Ellzey (TX-06), David Cicilline (RI-01), Jesús G. "Chuy" García (IL-04), Hakeem Jeffries (NY-08), Deborah K. Ross (NC-02), Debbie Dingell (MI-12), Norma J. Torres (CA-35), Mark Pocan (WI-02), Scott H. Peters (CA-52), Karen Bass (CA-37), Darren Soto (FL-09), Marie Newman (IL-03), Haley Stevens (MI-11), Nydia Velázquez (NY-07), Nikema Williams (GA-05) and Susan Wild (PA-07).
Dear President Biden and Secretary Mayorkas:
I urge you to designate Ukraine for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and provide Ukrainian students residing in the U.S. through F-1 visas special student relief (SSR).
TPS is a congressionally created humanitarian program managed by the Department of Homeland Security, that provides relief to nationals of designated foreign countries experiencing “ongoing armed conflict,” such that returning nationals to that state “poses a serious threat to their personal safety” 8 U.S.C. § 1254a(b). Ukraine is currently experiencing armed conflict as a result of Russia’s military invasion. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated on February 24, that more than 130 people were killed and over 300 people were wounded less than 24 hours after Russia’s military invasion of Ukraine. On February 27, Ukrainian officials stated that more than 350 civilians have been killed, including 14 children. Returning Ukrainian nationals residing in the United States to Ukraine during this ongoing conflict poses a very serious threat to their personal safety.
Special Student Relief (SSR) is the suspension of certain regulatory requirements by the Department of Homeland Security for F-1 students who are nationals of countries experiencing emergent circumstances, such as armed conflict. International students from Ukraine residing in the United States should be provided this relief as Ukraine continues experiencing armed conflict.
The United States has a moral and humanitarian responsibility to support Ukrainians during this ongoing conflict. Thank you for your consideration and attention to this timely issue.
Sincerely,
Representative Espaillat is the first Dominican American to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives and his congressional district includes Harlem, East Harlem, West Harlem, Hamilton Heights, Washington Heights, Inwood, Marble Hill and the north-west Bronx. First elected to Congress in 2016, Representative Espaillat is serving his third term in Congress. Representative Espaillat currently serves as a member of the influential U.S. House Committee on Appropriations responsible for funding the federal government’s vital activities. He is also a member of the House Committee on Education and Labor and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC), where he serves in a leadership role as the Second Vice Chair and is a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, where he serves as Deputy Whip. Representative Espaillat also currently serves as a Senior Whip of the Democratic Caucus. To find out more about Rep. Espaillat, visit online at https://espaillat.house.gov/. |
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