Press Releases

Washington, DC – Yesterday, U.S. Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-25) led 48 Democratic Members of Congress in filing an amicus brief with the United States Supreme Court in response to the Trump Administration's attempt to override a district court ruling that blocked the Department of Homeland Security from vacating Temporary Protected Status for Venezuelans. 

The Trump Administration petitioned the Supreme Court to overturn a district court decision that preserved TPS protections for Venezuelans while a case on the merits unfolds. The brief argues that Congress has a clear interest in preserving TPS and that the Administration’s attempt to vacate their status is unlawful and breaches separation of powers.

“Amici, as members of Congress, are keenly aware of the critical role that separation of powers plays in our constitutional democracy as a means to safeguard against the concentration of power within a single government branch,” said the Members in the brief’s introduction and summary. “Separation of powers … obligates the Judiciary to not shy from its duty to prevent Executive Branch overreach that upsets the carefully calibrated role each co-equal branch plays in our constitutional democracy.”

The brief continues, “The Executive Branch advances an interpretation of the TPS statute that, in essence, rewrites the statute to claim a power that Congress did not delegate to the Executive Branch…[A]mici, drawing on their experience and expertise as members of Congress, explain how these offered interpretations are incorrect and further explain that the TPS statute does not allow for vacatur.”

Wasserman Schultz was joined by House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Rep. Jamie Raskin (MD-8), House Committee on Homeland Security Ranking Member Rep. Bennie Thompson (MS-2), House Rules Committee Ranking Member Rep. James McGovern (MA-2), House Committee on Small Business Ranking Member Rep. Nydia Velazquez (NY-7), House Committee on Agriculture Ranking Member Rep. Jared Huffman (CA-2), Congressional Black Caucus Chair Rep. Yvette Clarke (NY-9), Congressional Hispanic Caucus Chair Rep. Adriano Espaillat (NY-13), New Democrat Coalition Chair Rep. Brad Schneider (IL-10), and House Progressive Caucus Chair Rep. Greg Casar (TX-35).

Additional signers include Reps. Jerry Nadler (NY-12), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC), Danny Davis (IL-7), Brad Sherman (CA-32), Jan Schakowsky (IL-9), Betty McCollum (MN-4), Kathy Castor (FL-14), Steve Cohen (TN-9), Henry “Hank” Johnson, Jr. (GA-4), Paul Tonko (NY-20), Frederica Wilson (FL-24), Suzanne Bonamici (OR-1), Dina Titus (NV-1), Lois Frankel (FL-22), Juan Vargas (CA-52), Robin Kelly (IL-2), Donald Beyer (VA-8), Lou Correa (CA-46), Pramila Jayapal (WA-7), Darren Soto (FL-9), Steven Horsford (NV-4), Veronica Escobar (TX-16), Lizzie Fletcher (TX-7), Jesús “Chuy” García (IL-4), Sylvia Garcia (TX-29), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), Troy Carter, Sr. (LA-2), Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (FL-20), Maxwell Frost (FL-10), Robert Garcia (CA-42), Sydney Kamlager-Dove (CA-37), Jared Moskowitz (FL-23), Andrea Salinas (OR-6), Gabe Amo (RI-1), Janelle Bynum (OR-5), Maxine Dexter (OR-3), Luz Rivas (CA-29).

Wasserman Schultz, who co-chairs the Venezuela Democracy Caucus, also recently partnered with Reps. Darren Soto (FL-9) and María Elvira Salazar (FL-27) to sponsor bipartisan legislation to reverse Trump’s termination of TPS for Venezuelans and redesignate protections. 

The full amicus brief can be found here.

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