New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., headlined an immigration rally outside the White House on Tuesday, calling on the U.S. to “be here in case of natural disaster, war, etc.” in an address to hundreds of people along Pennsylvania Ave.
The 29-year-old socialist was greeted enthusiastically in near-freezing rain by sign-holding demonstrators opposed to President Trump’s cancellation of temporary protected status, or TPS, for citizens of many developing countries.
Ocasio-Cortez spoke in both English and Spanish, calling for permanent residency for more than 400,000 TPS holders, most of whom would become unlawful residents if they don’t leave the U.S. pursuant to Trump administration policy changes.
“We need to make sure that we, as a nation, honor our promises and that is what this is all about. From Nepal to Honduras, we have made a promise to say that the United States will be a safe haven, we will be that lantern on the shore, we will be here in case of humanitarian disaster, we will be here in case of natural disaster, war, etc.,” she said in her 3-minute speech.
Ocasio-Cortez continued: “We are a nation that turns peril into promise. We are a nation that builds from many, and we have to protect our basic character as a nation to be that. That is what this is all about. We are here to make sure that all TPS recipients become permanent members of the United States of America.”
The New Yorker did not directly criticize Trump, unlike a fellow freshman congresswoman, Democratic Rep. Ayana Pressley of Massachusetts, who spoke later at the rally, repeatedly referring to Trump as “the occupant” of the White House, contrasting him unfavorably with “my forever president” Barack Obama.
“The occupant of this White House has shown little grace, little compassion, little empathy,” Pressley said. “This is not charity. This is what you have earned. This is what you have deserved. This is what you are owed. And we will not stop until you get it. Residency now!”
There are roughly 437,000 TPS recipients, about 60 percent of them from El Salvador, which was well-represented at the White House rally with national flags.
There are also sizable numbers of TPS recipients from Honduras, with about 87,000 people, Haiti, with about 59,000 recipients, and Nepal, with about 15,000.
In October, a federal judge temporary blocked Trump administration plans to end TPS for people from El Salvador, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Sudan. A separate lawsuit is seeking to overturn the administration’s plan to end TPS for citizens of Honduras and Nepal.
The Trump administration has said that it wants to ensure TPS is awarded to people fleeing current instability and warfare, rather than people who fled historical conflicts and economic hardship. The administration has not announced plans to end TPS for citizens of South Sudan, Syria, Yemen, and Somalia.
[Opinion: We are supposed to take Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez seriously, but not literally]
