The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) is pressing President Joe Biden to offer Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to Palestinians living in the United States, ensuring they cannot be deported under most circumstances.
CAIR officials, along with the Americans for Justice in Palestine Action, wrote to Biden on Tuesday evening, asking the State Department and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to give TPS — a quasi-amnesty program — to Palestinians in the U.S., as well as offering them Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) to ensure they will not be deported.
CAIR officials write:
We write to you today as representatives of Americans for Justice in Palestine Action (AJP Action) and the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) with deep concern for the wellbeing and fundamental rights of Palestinians residing in the United States. We request the Biden Administration to extend Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and authorize Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) for Palestinians in the United States. [Emphasis added]
…
Extending TPS and authorizing DED stands as a compassionate alternative to the recent legislative proposal introduced by Rep. Ryan Zinke and other Republicans. That proposal seeks to ban Palestinians from entering the United States and possibly expel those who are already here. We firmly believe that such a legislative measure, rooted in fear and exclusion, fundamentally contradicts the principles of compassion, justice, and equality that should guide our nation’s policies. [Emphasis added]
As CAIR noted, their letter comes as Rep. Ryan Zinke (R-MT) has introduced legislation that would deport Palestinians from the U.S. amid war in Israel.
Similarly, the legislation would ban DHS from giving visas, green cards, parole, and refugee status to Palestinians while revoking the visas of those Palestinians currently in the U.S. — making them deportable.
“This legislation keeps America safe. I don’t trust the Biden Administration any more than I do the Palestinian Authority to screen who is allowed to come into the United States,” Zinke said in a statement:
This is the most anti-Hamas immigration legislation I have seen and it’s well deserved. Given the circumstances, the threats to our immigration system and the history of terrorists abusing refugee, asylum and visa processes all over the world, the requirements in this bill are necessary to keep Americans safe. This bill does exactly that. [Emphasis added]
Reps. Andy Harris (R-MD), Aaron Bean (R-FL), Ralph Norman (R-SC), Scott DesJarlais (R-TN), Clay Higgins (R-LA), Ronny Jackson (R-TX), Bill Posey (R-FL), Barry Moore (R-AL), Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), and Andy Biggs (R-AZ) are all co-sponsors of the bill.
John Binder is a reporter for Breitbart News. Email him at jbinder@breitbart.com. Follow him on Twitter here.
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