WASHINGTON — Representatives Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, Ilhan Omar (MN-05), Deputy Chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, and Jesús “Chuy” García (IL-04), Chair of the Caucus Immigration Task Force, released the following statement after Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas announced that the Department would extend and redesignate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Somalia:
“Secretary Mayorkas’ announcement to redesignate and extend Temporary Protected Status to Somalis living in the United States will deliver a sense of much-needed relief and stability. As conflict and humanitarian crises continue to impact the lives of Somalis, it is important that the United States continues to live up to its mission of granting and providing humanitarian relief to people who need it most. We commend Secretary Mayorkas and the Biden administration for taking this important step forward, and making Somalia the thirteenth country from the Congressional Progressive Caucus Executive Action Agenda to receive an extension or redesignation of TPS in the last year.
“The fight for immigrants’ rights cannot, and will not, end here, and we will continue to push for the American Dream and Promise Act to become law. TPS, like DACA, is critical, lifesaving policy — but they are both temporary fixes, leaving immigrants and their communities in a constant state of limbo. If the United States is to create a more humane immigration system rooted in compassion and justice, we must finally provide immigrant community members with a roadmap to citizenship.”
In addition to Somalia being included in the CPC Executive Action Agenda, Representatives Jayapal and Omar were joined by Representatives Adam Smith (WA-09) and Yvette Clarke (NY-09) to lead members of Congress in calling for the extension and redesignation of TPS for Somalia.
