Senators Feinstein, Gillibrand, Colleagues Call on President Biden to Grant Temporary Protected Status to Pakistani Nationals
Washington : Following unprecedented flooding that has left one-third of Pakistan underwater and affected approximately 33 million people, Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) joined Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and a group of their Senate colleagues to write a letter calling on President Biden to grant Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to Pakistani nationals currently residing in the United States.
Implementing TPS would allow Pakistani nationals to remain in the United States until Pakistan recovers from this environmental disaster. The ongoing crisis has left many regions of the country uninhabitable and unsafe, caused at least an estimated $10 billion in damage and contaminated the water supply, spreading an array of waterborne illnesses, including diarrhea, malaria, acute respiratory infections, skin and eye infections, and typhoid.
In addition to Feinstein and Gillibrand, the letter was also signed by Senators Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Bob Casey (D-Pa.) and Tina Smith (D-Minn.).
“Granting TPS to Pakistani nationals in need is a small but consequential step that the United States can take to immediately reduce the human suffering caused by this natural disaster and would reaffirm our stance as a global leader committed to humanitarian relief efforts and protections,” wrote the senators. “Should Pakistan officially request TPS designation given the current conditions the country is facing, we urge the Biden administration to prioritize such a request while continuing to monitor ongoing developments and deliberate on the best way to aid the Pakistani community.”
This action is supported by the National Immigration Forum, Asian American Federation (AAF), the Climate Justice Collaborative at the National Partnership for New Americans, Communities United for Status and Protection (CUSP) and South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT).
