Senator Warner and Senator Kaine recently published this response to Harrisonburg Chapter leader Ramona Sanders in the Daily News Record. Ramona held an Open Forum on the endangered position of people with Temporary Protected Status.

“Thanking Sanders For Her Open Forum

We write in response to Ramona Sanders’ recent piece “ The American Dream And Promise Act.” We agree with Ms. Sanders that Temporary Protected Status (TPS) recipients are integral members of society, which is why, as fellow people of faith, we have called for immediate passage of the American Dream and Promise Act to offer TPS recipients and Dreamers a path to citizenship. In Virginia alone, an estimated 6,700 TPS holders work in industries deemed by the Department of Homeland Security to be “essential critical infrastructure,” such as health care, agriculture, and manufacturing. As TPS holders are risking their lives for the good of the country in the midst of an unprecedented health crisis, we should be focused on protection not deportation.

We thank Ms. Sanders for bringing awareness to this issue, and we promise to keep pushing for passage of the American Dream and Promise Act.

Mark Warner and Tim Kaine, U.S. Senators Representing Virginia”