A trio of Democratic senators is urging President Joe Biden to “Trump-proof” some of his migration policies before leaving office in January 2025.
Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Alex Padilla (D-CA), and Ben Ray Lujan (D-NM) sent a letter to Biden on Wednesday urging him to extend protections for “long-term immigrant communities” ahead of his White House exit.
“In addition to supporting strong border security, we are eager to ensure that [Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals] recipients, [Temporary Protected Status] holders, and other immigrants who are critical members of our communities and economies are not forgotten during this busy time,” the trio wrote.
President-elect Donald Trump campaigned heavily on executing large-scale deportations if elected, and comfortably won the 2024 contest over Vice President Kamala Harris last month.
The trio of senators are nonetheless urging Biden to take further action to prevent deportations. Two of them hail from states that Harris won, while the third, Cortez Masto, is from Nevada, where Trump won but GOP Senate candidate Sam Brown lost to Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-NV).
The senators are urging Biden to extend TPS for immigrants from countries including Ecuador, Nicaragua, and El Salvador, writing that “nationals from these three countries cannot return home due to severe circumstances on the ground.”
Conservatives, notably including Vice President-elect J.D. Vance, have argued that Biden is abusing TPS to grant a veneer of legitimacy to otherwise illegal immigration, saying the president has used the process to allow in hundreds of thousands of migrants.
The senators also urged Biden to protect DACA recipients by quickly processing renewals and advance parole requests before he leaves office on Jan. 20, 2025.
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“We appreciate your prompt consideration of these crucial actions,” they wrote. “Thank you for your continued service and partnership as we work together to better the lives of all Americans.”
The Washington Examiner has reached out to the White House and the Trump transition team seeking comment.