Colombia is requesting the Biden administration grant a type of protection from deportation to its residents living illegally in the U.S., citing ideas of ‘shared responsibility” and its generosity in accepting Venezuelan migrants.
In a letter to the Departments of State and Homeland Security, Colombia’s U.S. ambassador Luis Gilberto Murillo Urrutia says that Colombia “has been incredibly generous” in receiving over 2 million Venezuelan asylum seekers but says it faces its own challenges as a transit country for migrants moving through.
The letter, reported by The Associated Press, says that migration “is a regional issue that should be addressed under the principles of shared responsibility, strengthening regional cooperation to ensure migratory regularization.”
Therefore, the government is formally requesting the use of Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) program to protect Colombian nationals from potential deportation.
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DED allows a president to defer deportation for certain nationalities, although it is not itself a specific immigration status — and it can be accompanied by work authorization.
Previous examples of DED use include President Biden’s deferral of elimination for residents of Hong Kong final yr, former President Donald Trump deferring elimination for Venezuelans in January 2021 and then-President George W. Bush’s deferring the elimination of Liberians in 2007, which remains to be in impact.
The letter touches on language used on the Summit of the Americas in Los Angeles, the place the Biden administration and leaders of different Western Hemisphere international locations dedicated to a regional method to migration.
Supporters of Gustavo Petro, presidential candidate of the Historical Pact coalition, have a good time after he gained a runoff presidential election in Cali, Colombia, on June 19, 2022. (AP Photo/Andres Quintero)
“With this declaration, we’re transforming our approach to managing migration in the Americas,” Biden mentioned.
“Each of us is signing up to commitments that recognize the challenges we all share and the responsibility that impacts on all of our nations, and that will take all of our nations,” he mentioned.
It is unclear what number of Colombians are living in the U.S. illegally, however in response to Customs and Border Protection knowledge, there was a major enhance in Colombia migrant encounters on the southern border. In October, there have been greater than 17,000 encounters, up from 3,000 in October final yr and simply 26 in October 2020.
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Murillo Urrutia says his authorities’s intention is “for our people to return to Colombia in a dignified manner if they choose to or adjust their immigration status in the United States if they have the legal avenues to do so.”
Colombia has just lately restarted peace talks between the federal government and the National Liberation Army — a left-wing guerilla group — after talks had damaged down in 2019.
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The U.S. has been dealing with an enormous border disaster since early 2021 and faces a possible enhance in migrants with the ending of the flexibility to return migrants beneath the Title 42 public well being order later this month.
The Biden administration had just lately expanded Title 42 to incorporate Venezuelan nationals, whereas concurrently opening a parole program for nationals who apply and meet sure circumstances.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Colombia calls for deportation protection for nationals living illegally in US
Colombia calls for deportation protection for nationals living illegally in US
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Colombia calls for deportation protection for nationals living illegally in US