Representative Yassamin Ansari has joined over 120 members of Congress in filing a legal brief urging federal courts to reverse the Trump Administration's decision to end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Venezuelans.
TPS is a program that allows people from countries facing severe crises to temporarily live and work legally in the United States. Venezuela received this designation in 2021 due to an economic collapse and a humanitarian crisis. About 600,000 Venezuelans currently have this protection.
In September, a District Court ruled that the Trump Administration's decision to cancel Venezuela's TPS was unlawful. The Administration appealed to the Supreme Court, which allowed the government to continue removing protections while the case proceeds through the Ninth Circuit.
Ansari and her colleagues filed their brief to the Ninth Circuit, arguing that the District Court made the correct decision. They highlighted that the Executive Branch must follow the criteria set by Congress when making TPS decisions.
Lawmakers Arguments
The lawmakers emphasize that Congress created the TPS program to establish clear rules and prevent political influence on decisions. They argue that the law doesn't give the Secretary of Homeland Security unlimited power to reverse previous TPS rules without following the proper procedures.
The brief cites statements from members of both parties who have supported Venezuelan TPS over the years, including Republican Representatives Mario Díaz-Balart, Carlos A. Giménez, and María Elvira Salazar from Florida, who noted that many Venezuelans "have integrated into our communities, respecting our laws and contributing to the prosperity of our great country."
The State Department currently maintains a "Level 4: Do not Travel" warning for Venezuela, citing risks including wrongful detention, torture, terrorism, kidnapping, crime, and civil unrest.
Congressional members argue that ending TPS would immediately upend the lives of approximately 472,000 individuals, an outcome Congress intended to prevent when creating the program. The congressional brief asks the Ninth Circuit to uphold the original District Court decision that found ending TPS unlawful.
