A group of senators is urging President Joe Biden to designate the occupied Palestinian territories for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) in order to grant Palestinians in the U.S. the “strongest possible protection” against moves like deportation.

In a letter effort led by Sen. Peter Welch (D-Vermont), the senators say that neither Gaza nor the occupied West Bank are safe for Palestinians to return to, making the need for the TPS designation clear.

“Congress established TPS to allow noncitizens who are unable to return home safely to remain in the United States for a temporary, but extendable, period. The ongoing conflict in Gaza and the West Bank is precisely the kind of crisis Congress envisioned when crafting TPS,” the lawmakers wrote.

The letter was signed by eight senators, including Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont).

In February, the Biden administration issued an 18-month Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) program for Palestinians that, similarly to TPS, allows people from certain places to remain in the U.S. and apply for employment. The administration granted the status after over 100 members of Congress and a number of rights groups wrote to Biden asking for TPS or DED for Palestinians in November 2023.

However, the senators note that DED may not be enough to protect Palestinians amid Israel’s genocide of Gaza and escalated attacks in the occupied West Bank.

“DED may be insufficient in this instance. It derives from a president’s constitutional authority to conduct foreign affairs and thus does not offer the strongest........

© Truthout