The mayor of Miami Dade, Daniella Levine Cava, sent a letter to the deputy secretary of the United States Department of Homeland Security, Alejandro Mayorkas, in which she requests the extension and incorporation of the Temporary Protection Status (TPS) for Nicaraguan migrants, who arrived at the North American country in the face of the excessive repression of the dictatorship of Daniel Ortega.
“I am writing this letter urging your office to redesignate and extend this important protection for Nicaraguans. If they return to Nicaragua at this time, they will face social and political oppression at the hands of a repressive regime and continued threats to democracy and security,” the letter dated September 9 states.
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The mayor recalled that since Hurricane Mitch in 1998, many Nicaraguans have called Miami-Dade their new home “and have built strong networks and livelihoods here.”
He warned that denying the extension of TPS to nationals would force them to return to Nicaragua and “condemn them to live under an authoritarian government — Ortega’s — and a paralyzed economy due to several hurricanes and the pandemic.”
On the other hand, Levine Cava reminded Mayorkas that South Florida and Miami-Dade County “have long been a place of hope and refuge for hundreds of thousands of families who escaped tyranny, oppression and war and human rights violations.
He stressed that many Miami-Dade County residents, including Venezuelans, Nicaraguans, and Haitians, have been granted Temporary Protected Status (TPS) “and have had a huge positive impact on our community and economy as a result.”
Faced with this initiative, organizations that assist immigrants support the initiative to grant TPS to Central Americans who are in Miami, and thus be able to legalize their situation.
It should be noted that the migrants who enjoy TPS are more Venezuelan, with more than 400,000, while Nicaraguans only have approximately 5,000. If this is approved, one source pointed out that it would be “extraordinary” for the Nicaraguans “because it would help them to to work”.
Daniella Levin Cava urged Mayorkas “to continue defending democracy around the world (…) Miami-Dade County has a solid and deep history of welcoming those who come to our shores in search of freedom and opportunity.”
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“Through our Office of New Americans, we will continue to support Nicaraguans who want a shot at the American Dream. We strongly urge the federal administration to redesignate and extend this critical protection to the Nicaraguan people.” concluded.
From 2018 to date there has been a massive exodus of Nicaraguans due to political persecution by the Ortega regime. In this 2022, the wave of exiles has been greater, many have perished in their attempt to reach North American lands.
