A number of House Democrats, led by Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., Is appealing to President Trump to temporarily allow Lebanese citizens to stay in the US, following the explosion in Beirut this month.
“As news of the aftermath of the Beirut explosion continues to explode, it is clear that Lebanon is unable to safely accept the return of its citizens at this time,” said a letter signed by Tlaib and more than 80 others. The Democrats.
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The Lebanese capital was rocked on August 4 by the explosion, caused by an explosion of thousands of tons of ammonium nitrate. It killed more than 180 people, injured hundreds of thousands and left a quarter of a million homeless. The country also saw a spike in COVID-19 cases.
The Democrats called on Trump and Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf to designate Lebanon for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) or Deferred Enforced Departure (DED), so that Lebanese citizens in the country do not have to return on a temporary basis.
TPS allows the administration to designate a country as having conditions that temporarily prevent its citizens from returning safely. Currently countries designated for TPS include El Salvador, Haiti, Sudan, Syria and Yemen.
Given the full scale of the crisis, it is imperative that the administration take immediate steps to exercise its discretion – in matters of national importance – to keep Lebanese citizens currently in the United States, by designating Lebanon for TPS as DED, ”says the letter.
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The Democrats also call on Trump to “welcome in our country individuals and families who have been permanently displaced by this disaster by any and all means at your disposal, including humanitarian parole.”
The US has responded with $ 18 million in humanitarian aid for Lebanon, but has stressed the need for political reforms in the country, where the terrorist organization Hezbollah has significant influence. It has been hit by protests by people who are angry at the government, which fired in the wake of the explosion and is now serving in any capacity.
David Hale, the US Secretary of State for Political Affairs, said this week that although the US would provide assistance for the ‘immediate humanitarian need’, further assistance would require political reform.
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“But for the kind of substantial assistance that the Lebanese are asking for to restructure their finances and their economy, it will take the leadership that is committed to these profound reforms that we have been talking to the Lebanese about for years,” he said in a conversation with reporters.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
