Dear Friend,
This last week saw devastating news for members of both the Venezuelan and Haitian diaspora, both of whom call Florida home in large numbers.
On June 24, two catastrophic back-to-back earthquakes — magnitudes 7.2 and 7.5 — struck near Caracas and the coastal state of La Guaira, killing well over a thousand people, injuring thousands more, and leaving tens of thousands missing as rescue teams continue to search the rubble. It is the deadliest earthquake to hit Venezuela in over a century, and the images of collapsed homes, hospitals, and entire neighborhoods are too much to bear.
Many of our Venezuelan neighbors here in Central Florida are watching from afar, desperate for word about family members and unsure how to help from so far away.
Then, just one day later, on June 25, the U.S. Supreme Court handed down a decision gutting the ability of courts to review the termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS), clearing the way for the Trump administration to strip protections from hundreds of thousands of Haitian and Venezuelan TPS holders, many of whom have built their lives, raised their children, and contributed to our communities right here in Florida.
This email outlines two steps you can take to support our neighbors affected by these crises.
First, you can sign the petition above asking the U.S. Senate to act on TPS.
Secondly, above are the details for a supply drive we are hosting today and tomorrow. You can learn more here, too. Thank you for your support and kindness.
Onward,
