Dear Representative,

We are writing to you today as constituents and members of the community in Utah to urgently request your leadership in advocating for immediate administrative relief for Venezuelan nationals currently residing in the United States. Following the catastrophic twin earthquakes that struck northern Venezuela, the country is facing a humanitarian emergency of unprecedented proportions that renders safe return entirely impossible.

On June 24, back-to-back earthquakes measuring 7.2 and 7.5 in magnitude tore through the region. The structural devastation is catastrophic: residential buildings have collapsed, entire communities are without power, and a national state of emergency has been declared. Crucially, the country’s primary international gateway, Simón Bolívar International Airport in Maiquetía, has suffered severe structural failure and has been forced to completely shut down. With its primary aviation infrastructure shattered and emergency services completely overwhelmed, Venezuela is fundamentally unable to accept or safely integrate returning citizens. This exact scenario is precisely why Congress established Temporary Protected Status (TPS) under the Immigration Act of 1990. The statute explicitly mandates that TPS be granted when a foreign state is temporarily unable to handle the return of its nationals due to an environmental disaster or earthquake.

However, if statutory hurdles or timing constraints present challenges to an immediate TPS designation right now, I urge you to ask the administration to explore **Deferred Enforced Departure (DED)** as a rapid-response alternative. There is direct precedent for using this executive mechanism to protect vulnerable Venezuelans; President Trump successfully enacted DED for Venezuelans in January 2021 via presidential memorandum, recognizing that severe domestic turmoil prevented safe return. Utilizing DED now would bypass lengthy procedural delays, allowing the administration to swiftly pause removals and grant temporary work authorization on vital humanitarian grounds.

Deporting or forcing Venezuelans to return to a nation whose infrastructure has just collapsed—and whose primary airport is physically destroyed—would violate the core spirit of American compassion and create an active safety crisis for those involved.

As our representative, we urge you to use your vital voice to call upon the administration and the Department of Homeland Security to immediately deploy TPS or DED for Venezuelans.

Thank you for your time, your leadership, and your urgent attention to this pressing humanitarian matter. 

Sincerely,

The Venezuelan Alliance of Utah