Wasserman Schultz on House Democrats Passing Protections for Venezuelan Migrants

Washington, July 25, 2019 After months of inaction from the President, House Democrats stepped into the void and extended life-saving protections to Venezuelans who have fled starvation, violence, and persecution.(Washington D.C.) – U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-23) issued the following statement after the House of Representatives voted to pass H.R. 549, extending Temporary Protected Status to Venezuelan nationals:

“After months of inaction from the President, House Democrats stepped into the void and extended life-saving protections to Venezuelans who have fled starvation, violence, and persecution.

The Maduro regime has perpetuated egregious human rights abuses and inflicted an economic and humanitarian crisis on the people of Venezuela. South Florida has the largest Venezuelan population in the United States. I have heard firsthand from neighbors and friends about the brutality of this regime and horrendous circumstances that forced families to flee – stories of children kidnapped from playgrounds, family members dying of hunger, government-sponsored violence, and the deprivation of civil rights.

Despite calling the Maduro regime a ‘nightmare of poverty, hunger, and death’ and saying he was ‘very seriously’ looking at extending TPS to Venezuela, the President and his administration have only committed to ‘monitoring’ the situation in Venezuela. In the meantime, this administration continues to deport Venezuelan nationals – sending them back to the nightmare they escaped.

Extending TPS will ensure Venezuelans are shielded from the imminent danger of deportation and can obtain work permits.

I am proud to have helped champion this legislation, sponsored by Rep. Darren Soto (FL-09), and who worked to help pass this bill with broad bipartisan support in the House. I now urge my colleagues in the Senate to act immediately and get this bill to the President’s desk as soon as possible, which he must sign, ensuring that Venezuelans who fled conflict in their home country are protected in the United States.”