Immigration activists in Chicago are elated by President Joe Biden’s administration granting temporary legal status to hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans already in the United States. However, they demanded that the policy be extended to all immigrants.
“Thank you, but we need more. Thank you, President, but we deserve more. “Thank you, President, but our country demands more for immigrant communities,” said Mike Rodriguez, a Chicago city council member.
A similar thing was conveyed by Erendira Rendon from a local NGO.
“We believe that this is a good thing. “We are immigrant justice organizations and we believe that immigrants should be able to come to the US and should be able to apply for work permits,” said Erendira Rendon.
The move announced on Wednesday (20/9) to grant temporary protected status (TPS) to Venezuelan migrants arriving in the US starting July 31 makes it easier and faster for them to obtain work permits.
Such status is a key demand of Democratic mayors and governors struggling to handle the surge in the number of migrants they serve.
Venezuelans make up the largest group of migrants to arrive in the US in recent years. The Eagle Pass border crossing in Texas has declared a state of emergency over what it calls a “major surge of undocumented immigrants.” (lt/ka)