Ask your Representatives and Senators to designate Belarus for Temporary Protected Status (updated)
Use this script to call your elected officials and ask them to get Belarus designated for Temporary Protected Status. Call the Washington, DC, office and ask to speak with the foreign policy advisor. If they are unavailable, leave a message with the receptionist. If you get their voicemail inbox, please leave a message.
Use this link to find Representative and Senators and their contact information: https://www.govtrack.us/congress/members
Updated on Oct 29, 2023: New scripts explan the impact of Decree 278 on Belarusians in the U.S.; a simplified version of the call script was added.
Call Script
(upper-intermediate to advanced ESL level)
INTRODUCTION:
Hello, my name is [Your Name], and I’m a constituent from [Your City or Town] in [Your State]. I’m calling to express my concern about the situation in Belarus and request that Representative [Representative’s Last Name] sign a letter to Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas in support of designating Belarus for Temporary Protected Status and Special Student Relief.
REASONS:
Decree 278: On September 4, the Lukashenka regime issued Decree 278, which denies Belarusian citizens consular services abroad.
Forcing Return: This decree forces Belarusians in foreign countries to return to Belarus to renew their passports and obtain other necessary documents.
Impact on Students: Belarusian students studying in the United States are affected because they need identity documents for their studies, driver’s licenses, and other necessary documentation.
Political Repression: The purpose of this decree is to force Belarusians who oppose the regime to return, where they could face arrest and detention. There are reports of this already happening.
REQUEST:
I kindly ask Representative [Representative’s Last Name] to sign a letter urging Secretary Mayorkas to designate Belarus for Temporary Protected Status and Special Student Relief due to these troubling developments. This would provide much-needed support to Belarusian citizens, especially students studying in the US.
CLOSING:
Thank you for your attention to this matter, and I hope Representative [Representative’s Last Name] can take action on this issue. Please let me know if there are any updates or actions taken regarding this request. I appreciate your time.
Simplified Call Script
(intermediate ESL level)
INTRODUCTION:
Hello, I’m [Your Name], and I live in [Your City or Town], [Your State]. I am calling about the situation in Belarus. I want to ask Representative [Representative’s Last Name] to support a letter to Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas. The letter asks the Secretary to designate Belarus for Temporary Protected Status and Special Student Relief.
REASONS:
Decree 278: On September 4, the regime in Belarus issued Decree 278. This decree stops Belarusians in other countries from getting most services from their embassy.
Forcing Return: This decree forces Belarusians abroad to go back to Belarus to renew their passports and get other important documents.
Impact on Students: Belarusian students in the United States will have problems because they need identity documents for their studies, driver’s licenses, and other important things.
Political Repression: The reason for this rule is to make people go back to Belarus. If they go now, they could get arrested. It already happened to some people who went back to get a new passport.
REQUEST:
I’m asking Representative [Representative’s Last Name] to sign this letter to Secretary Mayorkas. TPS and SSR will help Belarusians in the United States so that they can stay and study.
CLOSING:
Thank you for your attention. I hope Representative [Representative’s Last Name] can help with this. Please tell me if there are any updates about this. I appreciate your time.