US lawmakers seek immigration protection from Joe Biden administration for Pakistani migrants

Implementing TPS would allow Pakistani nationals to remain in the US, reports Dawn News.

Two democratic senators — Diane Feinstein of California and Kirsten Gillibrand of New York — initiated the move late last month by drafting a letter to US President Joe Biden, urging him to grant the TPS status.

Since then, other lawmakers have also backed the move. Those who have signed the letter are: Sen­a­tors Patty Murray, Dick Durbin, Amy Klobuchar, Cory Booker, Mark Warner, Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, Chris Van Hollen, Bob Casey, and Tina Smith, the Pakistani newspaper reported.

In a statement issued with the letter, the senators argued that this year’s floods and rains have left one-third of Pakistan underwater and affected approximately 33 million people. They also pointed out that the ongoing crisis has left many regions uninhabitable and unsafe and also caused an estimated damage of $10 billion.

Another major threat, they wrote, was the spread of waterborne illnesses, in­­cluding diarrhoea, malaria, acute respiratory infections, skin and eye infections, and typhoid.

“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,” the senators wrote as quoted by Dawn News in its report.

“Should Pakistan officially request TPS designation given the current conditions the country is facing, we urge the Biden administration to prioritise such a request while continuing to monitor ongoing developments and deliberate on the best way to aid the Pakistani community.”