FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

September 29, 2023

MEDIA CONTACT: 

e: brian.phillips@mail.house.gov

c: 202.913.0126

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke (D-NY) and Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) led 52 of their colleagues in a letter to the Biden-Harris Administration urging the administration to designate Temporary Protected Status and Special Student Relief for the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) as it faces extreme ongoing violence and deteriorating humanitarian conditions.

“We believe it is critical that a designation be issued for the DRC that reflects the continued extraordinary and temporary conditions on the ground,” wrote the Members. “The U.S. has a moral obligation to uphold its promise to vulnerable Congolese, and protect them from being deported to fatal conditions. We strongly urge the Secretary and his counterparts in the administration to take necessary measures to protect the Congolese community in the United States.”

“The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is in the midst of one of the deadliest armed conflicts in history, making it impossible for Congolese people in the U.S. to return to the country safely – exactly the kind of situation that Congress created the Temporary Protected Status program for. We thank Representative Clarke and Senator Booker for leading this critical effort, and urge the Biden administration to expand on their successful use of TPS without delay to save lives,” said Andrea Flores, Vice President for Immigration Policy and Campaigns at FWD.us.

“The unsafe and dangerous conditions in the DRC are well documented and reported by many agencies, including the State Department. We urge the Administration to heed these reports and the call from members of Congress and protect our Congolese friends and neighbors living in the US. A TPS designation for the DRC will keep families together and strengthen our communities,” said Nils Kinuani, Immigration Coordinator for the Congolese Community of Washington Metropolitan.

“The Democratic Republic of the Congo is currently in the midst of an armed conflict, resulting in the highest number of refugees resettled in the US. Among the top five countries with the most refugees resettled, the DRC is the only one without Temporary Protected Status. There is a pressing need to shield Congolese individuals from the risk of return. We strongly urge the administration to take swift action and advance the cause of humanitarian relief for Black immigrants who are affected and in dire need of protection,” said Ramya Reddy, the TPS-DED Administrative Advocacy Coalition.  

Senators Cardin, Feinstein, Kaine, Klobuchar, Markey, Sanders, Shaheen, Warren and Representatives Adams, Beatty, Bowman, Brown (Shontel), Bush, Carson, Casar, Castor, Castro, Chu, Cleaver, Connolly, Espaillat, Evans, Garcia (Jesus), Garcia (Sylvia), Gomez, Grijalva, Ivey, Jackson (Jonathan), Jackson Lee, Jayapal, Johnson (Henry), Kamlager-Dove, Lee (Barbara), McCollum, McGovern, Meng, Norton, Payne, Pingree, Plaskett, Quigley, Ramirez, Raskin, Schakowsky, Sewell, Smith (Adam), Tlaib, Trone, Velazquez, Watson Coleman, Williams (Nikema), and Wilson (Frederica) also signed the letter.

The letter has received support from African Communities Together, Immigration Hub, Communities United for Status and Protection (CUSP), U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI), Asian Americans Advancing Justice (AAJC), MomsRising, Immigrant Defenders Law Center, National Immigration Project (NIPNLG), Family Action Network Movement, The Cooperative of Farmers and Breeders of Congo (COOPAGEL), FWD.us, TPS-DED AAC, Ayuda, Wind of the Spirit Resource Center, Congolese Integration Network, African Immigration Initiative of Courageous Resistance, Congolese Community of Washington Metropolitan, Louisiana Organization for Refugees and Immigrants, CASA, Asylum Seeker Advocacy Project (ASAP), Global Social Work, Refugee Congress, Congo American Bridge, Priority Africa Network, East Bay Refugee and Immigrant Forum, Sojourners, and the African Advocacy Network.

The text of the letter is available here.

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