WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Peter Welch (D-Vt.) and Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) led Senators Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), and Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) in urging President Biden to promptly designate the Palestinian Territories for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and protect Palestinians present in the United States from deportation. In their letter, the Senators outlined how the ongoing catastrophe in Gaza and the West Bank demands such a designation to ensure the safety of this vulnerable population. The Senators also outlined historical precedent for the designation of similar groups for TPS, including the Clinton Administration’s designation of the province of Kosovo during the war with Yugoslavia.  

“As you know, 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,” wrote the Senators. “For over a year, Israeli bombing and extensive ground operations in Gaza have left over 43,000 Palestinians dead, and core civilian infrastructure largely incapacitated. The stability of the West Bank has also worsened since October 7, 2023, as violent settlers have increasingly destroyed homes, stolen livestock, demolished olive orchards, and wounded and killed hundreds of Palestinian civilians, including children. The presence of this ‘ongoing armed conflict’ would clearly ‘pose a serious threat’ to the personal safety of Palestinians forced to return home.” 

The Senators concluded: “In short, we believe congressional intent, statute, and past practice justify a TPS designation for the Palestinian Territories. We respectfully request your Administration grant such relief.” 

In November 2023, following Israel’s initial incursion into Gaza, more than 100 Members of Congress wrote to President Biden requesting protection and relief for Palestinians in the United States who cannot return safely to their home country. Following the Senators’ letter, the Biden Administration authorized Deferred Enforced Departure for that population.  

Read the full text of the letter. 

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