Senate Democrats Beg Biden To Give Lebanese Migrants Protected Status

Top Senate Democrats on Tuesday reiterated their calls for the Biden-Harris administration to give protected status to Lebanese nationals as fighting between Israel and Hamas intensifies.

Several Democratic committee chairmen co-signed a letter to President Joe Biden asking him to greenlight Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and move forward with Deferred Enforcement Departure (DED) for Lebanese nationals currently living in the United States. Their call follows previous demands by congressional Democrats to allow thousands of Palestinian refugees into the country and national security concerns about 🛂Immigration from the region.

“On June 5, 2024, we sent the attached letter requesting your administration designate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Lebanon in response to the regional conflict-driven crisis and growing domestic food insecurity, economic collapse, and a stalled Presidential selection process,” the letter began. “In the months since our request, the armed conflict between Hezbollah and Israel has only intensified, claiming the lives of civilians, and worsening the already dire humanitarian emergency.”

“Given these worsening country conditions and the potential for continued crisis, we respectfully reiterate our request for your administration to designate TPS for Lebanon to protect Lebanese nationals currently in the United States,” the letter continued. “We also urge you to swiftly issue the DHS implementation guidance for DED and advance the DED authorization date, to protect Lebanese nationals that recently arrived to the United States.”

The letter was co-signed by Maryland Sen. Ben Cardin, chair of the Foreign Relations Committee, Michigan Sen. Gary Peters, chair of the Homeland Security Committee and Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin, chair of the Judiciary Committee.