A bipartisan group of lawmakers has introduced the Venezuelan Adjustment Act to adjust the legal status for Venezuelan nationals. Florida Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar (R), who’s promoted the Dignity Act, joins Democrats in looking to address pressing concerns regarding Venezuelan nationals. With Florida Reps. Darren Soto (D), Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D), and Frederica Wilson (D), Salazar has introduced H.R. 4048.
According to a press release from Salazar’s office, the bill “would adjust the legal status for certain Venezuelan nationals to that of lawfully admitted permanent residence if they meet certain criteria, including entering the United States before or on December 31, 2021.”
Moreover, it “would provide a path to lawful permanent residency status to many Venezuelan nationals who have been living in the United States for years and allow them to continue making significant contributions to their communities, the state of Florida, and the country.”
In a statement, she commented on Venezuela’s political climate, positing that socialism is gravely affecting Venezuelan nationals to seek freedom in the U.S. “The oppressions of the Maduro regime and the failure of socialism of the 21st century has led to the world’s worst refugee crisis,” she explained, adding that “as a result, thousands of Venezuelans in Miami face an uncertain immigration situation and cannot return to Venezuela.”
In introducing the bill, Salazar hopes “to provide refuge for those who have endured incredible suffering, so they do not have to return home to face the wrath of the dictatorship.”
Mildred Rodriguez, the CEO of My Voice Counts, praised the effort, commenting that the bill “will allow more than 400,000 Venezuelans who are fleeing an oppressive regime where totalitarianism prevails to obtain Permanent Residence without any model of change.”
Rep. Wilson affirmed that the U.S. has a responsibility to provide support for the Venezuelan people “as the Venezuelan community endures the ongoing humanitarian and political crisis.”
