U.S. economic intervention abroad: lift sanctions to relieve migratory pressure

• Author: Jacqueline Braslow
• Position: J.D. Candidate, 2023, Georgetown University Law Center; B.A. Anthropology, Brown University
• Pages: 859-867

U.S. ECONOMIC INTERVENTION ABROAD: LIFT

SANCTIONS TO RELIEVE MIGRATORY

PRESSURE

JACQUELINE BRASLOW*

INTRODUCTION

The Biden administration has announced a commitment to addressing the

‘root causes’ of migration.

1

However, with respect to the recent and long-

anticipated Temporary Protected Status (TPS) designation of Venezuela,

2

the

administration remains silent as to a root cause of migration well within its

power to remedy: U.S. sanctions policy. There is no mention of the United

States’ harsh unilateral sanctions regime imposed against Venezuela within

the March 2021 TPS designation.

3

The economic sanctions by the United

States have devastated the country’s ability to generate state revenue to fund

social programs and to import essential goods such as food, medicine, diesel

fuel, and spare parts for public infrastructure systems.

4

U.S. sanctions are a primary contributor to the years-long economic crisis

that has spurred millions to migrate from Venezuela.

5

In light of the COVID-

19 pandemic, there have been calls from members of Congress for the Biden

administration to review humanitarian impacts of its current sanctions poli-

cies.

6

The Biden administration paid minimal lip-service to a humanitarian

* Jacqueline Braslow, J.D. Candidate, 2023, Georgetown University Law Center; B.A.

Anthropology, Brown University. © 2022, Jacqueline Braslow.

1. See Fact Sheet: Strategy to Address the Root Causes of Migration in Central America, WHITE

HOUSE (July 29, 2021), https://perma.cc/64TY-MRQV.

2. Designation of Venezuela for Temporary Protected Status and Implementation of Employment

Authorization for Venezuelans Covered by Deferred Enforced Departure, 86 Fed. Reg. 44, 13574 (March

9, 2021).

3. Id.

4. See e.g., Alena Douhan (Special Rapporteur), Report of the Special Rapporteur on the Negative

Impact of Unilateral Coercive Measures on the Enjoyment of Human Rights, ¶¶ 27–28, 92, U.N. Doc. A/

HRC/48/59/Add.2 (Oct. 4, 2021); MARK WEISBROT & JEFFREY SACHS, CENTER FOR ECONOMIC AND

POLICY RESEARCH, ECONOMIC SANCTIONS AS COLLECTIVE PUNISHMENT: THE CASE OF VENEZUELA 3

(Apr. 2019).

5. See Joe Sammut & Gregory Wilpert, The Violence and Economic Destruction Caused by U.S.

Economic Sanctions in Venezuela, in VIVIREMOS: VENEZUELA VS. HYBRID WAR 118, 129 (2021);

WEISBROT & SACHS, supra note 4, at 1, 6; Douhan, supra note 4, at ¶¶ 55, 97; Geraldina Colotti, UN

Independent Expert Alfred de Zayas: ‘This is How the Human Rights Industry Works,’ VENEZUELA

ANALYSIS (Jan. 26, 2021), https://perma.cc/3U9A-7ZFR.

6. Press Release, Office of Ilhan Omar, Warren, Omar and Garcia Lead Letter Calling for Sanctions

Relief (Feb. 11, 2021), https://perma.cc/T58Q-GN98; Joshua Goodman, Democrats Pressure Biden to

Review U.S. Sanctions on Venezuela, PBS (Mar. 23, 2021), https://perma.cc/G474-ZVHM; Aı

´da Cha

´vez,

859