Ocasio-Cortez, Menendez, Espaillat Call on Biden Administration to Grant Temporary Protected Status for Ecuadorians
Washington, D.C. — Today, Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY–14), Rob Menendez (NJ–8), and Adriano Espaillat (NY–13) led 24members of Congress in sending a letter to the Biden administration, asking them to grant Ecuadorians a Temporary Protected Status Designation.
Ecuador has seen a sharp rise in violence for the last couple of years, with violent deaths nearly doubling between 2022 and 2023. President Daniel Noboa declared the country to be in an “internal armed conflict.” Armed groups continue to threaten the press, medical institutions, community leaders, and the public at large. “While the Biden Administration has offered assistance to the Ecuadorian Government, this does not address the more than 450,000 Ecuadorian immigrants living in the United States. In addition, Ecuador has been the second-highest source country for asylum seekers in New York City since 2022,” wrote the lawmakers.
“Despite the well-documented insecurity that drove these constituents to make the perilous journey through the Darién Gap, many of them are in removal proceedings and face imminent deportation. A TPS designation would allow many in our Ecuadorian community to breathe a sigh of relief by keeping families together and making them eligible for work authorization to support themselves. We must protect our Ecuadorian constituents from deportation to a conflict zone,” they continued.
The letter is co-signed by Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (NY) and Representatives Joaquin Castro (TX–20), Tony Cardenas (CA–29), Sylvia Garcia (TX–29), Greg Casar (TX–35), Darren Soto (FL–09), Grace Meng (NY–06), Nydia Velazquez (NY-07), Yvette Clarke (NY–09), Jamaal Bowman (NY–16), Dan Goldman (NY–10), Delia Ramirez (IL–10), Mike Quigley (IL–05), Grace Napolitano (CA–31), Ilhan Omar (MN–05), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC), James McGovern (MA–02), Cori Bush (MO-01), Jesus “Chuy” Garcia (IL-04), Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Melanie Stansbury (NM-01), Jim Himes (CT-04), Melanie Stansbury (NM-01), and Jimmy Gomez (CA-34).
The full letter is available here.
Quotes from endorsing organizations follow:
“Today, I call on the Biden-Harris Administration to immediately grant Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to Ecuadorians. More than 210,000 Ecuadorians call New York City home, including 10,000 newly arrived Ecuadorians currently in our care. A TPS designation for Ecuadorians in the United States unlocks invaluable protections for our new neighbors, including access to apply for employment authorization, so our local economy can benefit from their skills and talents while our new neighbors reach stability,” said New York City Mayor Eric Adams. “This vital protection also serves to shield Ecuadorians from dangers they may otherwise have to return to in their homeland-dangers I saw firsthand last Fall.”
"I came to this country more than 30 years ago seeking safety and security. Since then, I have rebuilt my life and become an essential part of my community in Queens, New York. I urge the Biden administration to designate Temporary Protective Status (TPS) for Ecuador,” said Vicente Mayorga, Immigration Organizer at Make the Road New York. “TPS for Ecuador is long overdue for our Ecuadorian brothers and sisters who now call this country their home; it will allow them to remain together with loved ones and safeguard them from separation and deportation. As we call for TPS, our fight still continues to ensure permanent protections for all immigrants.”
“We are happy and hopeful to learn of this letter to the Department of State and the Department of Homeland Security with the support from several Members of Congress, in which they request that TPS be designated for Ecuador; [which would provide] immigration relief for thousands of Ecuadorians that would allow them to have a work permit and not be deported, to continue contributing to the well-being of our families…” said Antonio Arizaga, President of Frente Unido de Inmigrantes Ecuatorianos. “We Ecuadorians who live in the United States contribute with our physical and intellectual effort to the development of the country, and we pay taxes. We are an honest and hard-working community.”
“TPS makes it possible for us [Ecuadorians] to seek decent work,” said Walther Sinchi, President of Alianza Ecuatoriana. “It protects us, and helps us while we contribute to the dynamic economy of the country that we've made our home.”
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