Venezuelans to Sens. Rubio and Scott: Sponsor SECURE Act and Give All TPS Holders Path to Citizenship
Business, faith and Venezuelan leaders will hold a national TPS summit this weekend to urge Republicans and Democrats to take action
MIAMI, FL — A national coalition of Venezuelans, business and faith leaders, elected officials, media personalities and members of other TPS communities from Haiti and Central America will hold a national summit this Saturday April 17 at 11 AM EST to urge Sens. Marco Rubio and Rick Scott to cosponsor the SECURE Act, which would provide a path to permanency to an estimated 650,000 TPS holders, including more than 320,000 Venezuelans.
Media can sign up here.
Members of the Venezuelan diaspora held a press conference earlier this week to call on Democratic and Republican senators to pass the SECURE Act, which would provide permanent protections to TPS holders from 12 countries, including Venezuela, Haiti, Honduras, Nicaragua, and El Salvador. During the event, attendees will be encouraged to contact Sens. Rubio and Scott and urge them to cosponsor the SECURE Act.
Venezuelan leaders, a key constituency for Republicans in Florida who were instrumental in shaping the outcome of the 2020 elections in that state, are calling on Republicans and Democrats to work together to pass the SECURE Act and for US Senators Marco Rubio and Rick Scott to cosponsor the SECURE Act, which would provide a pathway to permanency to an estimated 650,000 TPS holders, including more than 320,000 Venezuelans. Sen. Rubio has supported Venezuelans fight for democracy and Scott has expressed support for giving Venezuelan TPS holders a path to permanency, but so far neither has sponsored the bill. The SECURE Act was introduced by Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland and it needs at least one Republican co-sponsor and the support of 10 GOP senators to become law.
Speakers include:
- Carla Angola, Journalist EVTV
- Leopoldo Martinez, President, Center for Democracy and Development in The Americas (CDDA)
- Maria Antonietta Diaz, President and Founder, Venezuelan American Alliance, and CEO and founder of the GBS Group
- William Diaz, Founder, Casas de Venezuela National Network
- Archbishop Thomas Wenski, Archdiocese of Miami
- Rene Garcia, Miami-Dade Commissioner and Chairman of the Republican Party of Miami-Dade County
- Leonard Boord, IMPAC Board Member
- Susana Robledo, CEO, Cubecare
- Yanira Arias, Alianza Américas
- Councilwoman Nancy Navarro, Montgomery County Councilmember, District 4
- Denise Rincon, Director, Venezuelan Alliance Massachusetts
- Paul Namphy, FANM Family Action Network Movement
- Yanira Arias, Alianza Américas
- Liz Alarcon, Proyecto Pulso
- Juan Escalante, FWD.us
- Evelyn Perez Verdia, We Are Más
- Kathy Bird Carvajal, Executive Director, IMPAC Fund
- Maria Rodriguez, Florida Immigrant Coalition
Speakers are available for interviews before, during, and after the event.
Press conference hosts: IMPAC Fund (Florida chapter of the American Business Immigration Coalition), Venezuelan American Alliance, Casa de Venezuela Orlando, Proyecto Pulso, Center for Democracy and Development in the Americas (CDDA), We Are Más, Florida Immigration Coalition (FLIC) and Mujeres Latinas.
Event cosponsors: Casa Venezolana – Americana, Illinois Venezuelan Alliance, Venezolanos en Sanford, Asociación de Venezolanos Puerto Rico, Casa de Venezuela Jacksonville, Venezuela USA Foundation, Casa de Venezuela Atlanta, Casa de Venezuela en SW Florida, Venezuelan Association of Massachusetts, Venezuela Para Ti, Casa de Venezuela Greater Philadelphia, Casa de Venezuela Delaware, VenAmerica, Médicos Unidos Venezuela, AVA – Austin Venezuelan Association, Fundación 10 de Diciembre – USA, Avenext, FWD.us, Papagayo Colorado, and Family Action Network Movement.
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