HM 1625

1	House Memorial
2	A memorial to the United States Government, requesting the
3	United States Government to grant deferred enforced
4	departure immigration status to Venezuelan nationals
5	seeking political asylum in the United States and
6	requesting the Bureau of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration
7	Services to grant and expedite work authorization permits
8	to Venezuelan nationals presently in the United States who
9	are requesting asylum to avoid political persecution.
10
11	WHEREAS, today the government of President Hugo Chavez in
12	Venezuela is persecuting the citizens of Venezuela for their
13	political views, seizing private property, and systematically
14	eliminating the freedoms of the Venezuelan people, and
15	WHEREAS, in addition to these transgressions against the
16	citizens of Venezuela, President Hugo Chavez has sought to
17	silence peaceful opposition to his government by placing heavy
18	restrictions and penalties on media outlets that still permit
19	criticism of the government, and
20	WHEREAS, in an effort to secure his personal rule, oppress
21	Venezuelan freedoms, and establish himself as dictator, Hugo
22	Chavez dissolved the democratically elected Venezuelan
23	legislature to establish a congress under his control,
24	manipulated elections, seized control of the National Electoral
25	Council, nationalized private industry, abandoned private
26	property rights, and generally assumed control over Venezuela's
27	government and its institutions, and
28	WHEREAS, as President Chavez's rule of Venezuela becomes
29	increasingly autocratic, promotes hate and anti-American and
30	communist ideology, and is supportive of nations that sponsor
31	terrorism, it is imperative that the United States reach out to
32	the members of the Venezuelan community in this country who fear
33	persecution from Hugo Chavez for speaking out against his
34	regime, and
35	WHEREAS, "deferred enforced departure" is a humanitarian
36	designation similar to "temporary protected status" that enables
37	the United States Government to delay the deportation of groups
38	of individuals who would otherwise be placed in danger if they
39	were to be deported to a country in which there is instability
40	for political or other reasons, and
41	WHEREAS, first used in 1990 and used five times since then,
42	deferred enforced departure status is designated by the
43	President and is generally granted to specific foreign nationals
44	for 12 or 18 months, during which time persons are allowed to
45	work in the United States if they obtain employment
46	authorization, and
47	WHEREAS, the United States has long followed the principle
48	that it will not return a foreign national to a country where
49	his or her life or freedom would be threatened as a result of
50	political persecution, and
51	WHEREAS, because thousands of Venezuelan nationals are
52	seeking refuge in the United States and within this state in
53	order to escape political persecution, it is consistent with the
54	founding principles of our nation and the character of our state
55	that they be provided sanctuary and protection, NOW, THEREFORE,
56
57	Be It Resolved by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
58
59	That the United States Government is requested to grant
60	"deferred enforced departure" immigration status to Venezuelan
61	nationals seeking political asylum in the United States who
62	would be placed in danger as a result of political persecution
63	and the Bureau of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
64	should grant and expedite work authorization permits to
65	Venezuelan nationals presently in the United States who are
66	requesting asylum to avoid political persecution by the
67	government of Venezuelan dictator Hugo Chavez.
68	BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be
69	dispatched to the President of the United States, to the
70	President of the United States Senate, to the Speaker of the
71	United States House of Representatives, and to each member of
72	the of the Florida delegation to the United States Congress.

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.