Congressman Joe Garcia Issues Letter To President Urging Him To Include Venezuelans In Any Executive Action on Immigration
Congressman Joe Garcia Issues Letter To President Urging Him To Include Venezuelans In Any Executive Action on Immigration
For Immediate Release: November 19, 2014 Contact: Nicole Cueto (202) 480-7274
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman Joe Garcia and Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz sent a letter to the White House urging the President to recognize the unique economic and political significance of the Venezuelan community by including Venezuelans in any executive action he takes on immigration.
“While conditions in Venezuela have been deteriorating for quite some time, this past year has seen an unprecedented amount of instability, violence, and human rights abuses,” stated Garcia. “The U.S. government should stand with those who have fled this oppressive regime. They have formed an integral part of South Florida’s cultural fabric, and their inclusion in the President’s actions falls perfectly in line with the purpose of administrative relief: keeping families and communities together.”
The population of Venezuelans in the United States has doubled since late-President Hugo Chavez first came to power, reaching approximately 200,000, many of them in South Florida. In their letter, Reps. Garcia and Wasserman Schultz request that the President either include all Venezuelans who would have been included in the Senate immigration reform bill in his expansion of administrative relief or authorize Deferred Enforced Departure for Venezuelans, a classification that allows temporary reprieve from deportations and work authorization.
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