20 MAR 2023

Former Nicaraguan Political Prisoner Zubrank Suazo Joins Congressional Leaders, Immigrant Advocates to Urge President Biden to Redesignate TPS for Nicaraguans

Zubrank Suazo to ABC News: "I've lived through that pain, and that's why I'm calling on the Biden administration to approve TPS for Nicaraguans who have no guarantee of returning to our county safely."

WASHINGTON, DC – As the Biden Administration continues to weigh whether to expand Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Nicaraguan nationals in the United States, former Nicaraguan political prisoner and opposition leader, Zubrank Suazo, joins Congresswoman Cherfilus McCormick (FL-20), St. Agatha Catholic Church’s Father Marcos Somarriba, and immigrant rights leaders to call on President Biden to immediately redesignate TPS for Nicaraguans.

Just last week, ABC News released a piece highlighting Zubrank Suazo’s rescue from prison and his call to the administration to expand TPS protections for the thousands of Nicaraguans already living and working in the U.S., "I'm going to continue to raise my voice for the Nicaraguan community that has had to leave home because of oppression and persecution," Suazo said. "I've lived through that pain, and that's why I'm calling on the Biden administration to approve TPS for Nicaraguans who have no guarantee of returning to our county safely."

Earlier this year, a coalition of 272 groups and a group of bipartisan congressional members sent separate letters calling on the Biden administration to act now to protect Nicaraguan nationals in the U.S. In recent years, tens of thousands of Nicaraguans have fled political persecution and the devastating effects of natural disasters. In a recent negotiated release, 222 Nicaraguan political prisoners, including Zubrank Suazo, were flown to refuge in the United States. The Temporary Protected Status statute was written in anticipation of the current conditions in Nicaragua. It is time for President Biden to use his authority to extend and expand TPS for Nicaraguan nationals in the U.S.

"Recent reports reveal that the decision to expand TPS for Nicaragua is imminent-- and yet, the policy still sits at DHS. The longer the decision remains in wait, the greater the urgency grows given the current conditions in Nicaragua,” said Beatriz Lopez, Chief Political and Communications Officer of the Immigration Hub. “Rather than focusing on a potential reinstatement of family detention or misguided asylum restrictions, the Biden administration should move forward with a humane solution that will allow current Nicaraguan nationals in the U.S. an opportunity to live and work without fear of deportation, lawfully contributing to their communities and local economies.”

“There is an urgent need for a redesignation for Temporary Protected Status for Nicaragua so that those who are fleeing the violent Ortega-Murillo regime can lead fruitful lives in the United States without fear of deportation,” said Reverend Father Marcos Somarriba, from St. Agatha Catholic Church. “As a faith leader who has welcomed other priests who have fled from the Ortega-Murillo regime, I’m aware of the dire circumstances that Nicaraguans face everyday in our home country. The Biden administration must act now to ensure our brethren are safe.”

“I’m proud to join hardworking advocates and community leaders to shed light on the critical need to redesignate and extend TPS to Nicaragua. For many Nicaraguans, America is their home. To repatriate them to a country many have not been to for over 25 years is deplorable,” said Congresswoman Cherfilus-McCormick. “The increasingly totalitarian nature of the Ortega-Murillo regime and the brutal political repression Nicaraguans face in their daily lives exacerbate the urgent need to redesignate and extend TPS to Nicaragua.”

“My parents fled a country that was torn apart by civil war, and in the years since my parents left, Nicaragua has been in the hands of a dictator that consolidated power by dismantling every ounce of democracy and separation of powers,” said Yareliz Mendez-Zamora, Federal Campaign Lead and daughter of Nicaraguan immigrants. “There is a bipartisan acknowledgement that the situation is gruesome in Nicaragua. There are bipartisan efforts for the redesignation of TPS for Nicaragua. In Florida, the Florida Congressional delegation sent a bipartisan letter to the White House asking for a redesignation. The Florida legislature followed suit and also sent a letter, the mayor of Miami-Dade County, Danielle Levine Cava, also sent a letter to President Biden and Secretary Mayorkas. Elected leaders are underscoring the urgency and it is now up to the White House to do the right thing.”

“TPS will give me the peace of mind to work and live without fear of being deported and to achieve my dreams,” said Bertha Sanles, fellow for American Friends Service Committeeand Nicaraguan immigrant. “Like my dream to buy my first house and support Leah, my 17 year old daughter, to go to college and Christell, my child who's a Teacher. TPS will protect thousands of Nicaraguans fleeing siege and Human Rights violations.”

“I’m a Nicaraguan born U.S. citizen. I’ve been in the US 53 years. During this time, I have enjoyed all the benefits this great country has to offer. Sadly, times have radically changed to the detriment of the people in my country,” said Lucia Huete, Vice President of the Central American Democratic Club of Miami-Dade and Nicaraguan activist. “The granting of TPS is a lifesaving process for the newly exiled and expatriated Nicaraguans who must, through no choice of their own, rebuild a life destroyed by their government. They must obtain the basic necessities to function in society. I ask that this tool be granted to them.”

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The Immigration Hub is a national organization dedicated to advancing fair and just immigrationpolicies through strategic leadership, innovative communications strategies, legislative advocacyand collaborative partnerships.