,i  #aaf? ,,congress  #a/ ,session  ,h4 
,r4 #bdac  ,,9 ,,! ,,h\se ,,(           
,,repres5tatives  ,april #cj1 #bjai ,mr4
 ,diaz-,bal>t 7= himself & ,ms4 ,%alala7
 introduc$ ! foll[+ bill2 :i* 0 ref]r$  
to ! ,committee on ! ,judici>y  ,a      
,,bill  ,to designate ,nic>agua "u      
section #bdd ( ! ,immigration &         
,nationality ,act to p]mit nationals (  
,nic>agua to be eligible = tempor>y     
protect$ /atus "u su* section1 & = o!r  
purposes4  #a4 ,%ort title ,?is ,act may
 be cit$ z ! ,nic>agua ,,tps ,act (     
#bjai4  #b4 ,f9d+s ,congress makes !    
foll[+ f9d+s3  7#a7 ,s9ce ,april #ah1   
#bjah1 prote/]s 9 ,nic>agua h dem&$     
transp>5t gov]nm5t )\t corruption1      
access to necessities su* z food &      
m$ic9es1 & free1 fair1 multip>ty        
elections4  7#b7 ,! ,_w ,bank report$ t 
,nic>agua's economy contract$ by #c4h   
p]c5t 9 #bjah1 & expects ! economic     
d[nturn to cont9ue to an e/imat$        
decrease 9 gr[? ( #e p]c5t 9 #bjai4     
7#c7 ,! ,unit$ ,/ates ,dep>tm5t (       

,/ate's ,c\ntry ,reports on ,human      
,rights ,practices = #bjah /at$ t betwe5
 ! prote/s ( ,april #ah1 #bjah1 & late  
,novemb] #bjah1 at lea/ #cbe p]sons di$1
 m ?an #b1jjj 7 injur$1 & hundr$s m 7   
illegally deta9$ & tortur$1 :ile m ?an  
#eb1jjj fl$ to neighbor+ c\ntries4  7#d7
 ,! ,unit$ ,/ates ,dep>tm5t ( ,/ate's   
,c\ntry ,reports on ,human ,rights =    
#bjah /at$ t human rights det]iorat$    
m>k$ly dur+ ! ye>4 ,issues includ$      
reports ( unlawful or arbitr>y kill+s   
committ$ by ! gov]nm5t or its ag5ts2 =c$
 disappe>ance by p>apolice =ces2        
torture2 physical abuse1 includ+ rape1  
by gov]nm5t (ficials2 & arbitr>y arre/ &
 det5tion4 ,!re 7 h>% & life-?reat5+    
prison conditions2 political prison]s2  
arbitr>y & unlawful int]f]5ce ) privacy2
 arre/s ( j\rnali/s1 c5sor%ip1 site     
block+1 & crim9al libel2 & sub/antial   
int]f]5ce ) ! rights ( peaceful assembly
 & fre$om ( association1 includ+ attacks
 on ! ,roman ,ca?olic ,*ur* & ,*ur*     
(ficials4 ,! gov]nm5t /ripp$ ! legal    

/atus ( sev]al nongov]nm5tal            
organizations 7,n,g,os7 & civil society 
organizations1 seiz+ _! assets & prev5t+
 !m f op]at+4 ,!re 0 widespread         
corruption2 traffick+ 9 p]sons2 attacks 
aga9/ lesbian1 gay1 bisexual1 transg5d]1
 & int]sex 7,,lgbti7 p]sons2            
discrim9ation aga9/ e?nic m9orities &   
indig5\s communities2 & *ild labor44    
7#e7 ,on ,febru>y #bb1 #bjai1 ,mi*elle  
,ba*elet1 ! ,u4,n4 ,high ,commission] = 
,human ,rights1 said1 ,i am deeply      
conc]n$ ab\t ! app>5t lack ( due process
 & increas+ crim9alization ( diss5t 9   
,nic>agua4 ,! arre/ & jail+ ( opposition
 lead]s1 possibly 9 "s cases z a        
reprisal = coop]at+ ) ! ,,un1 cle>ly    
h9d]s ! creation ( an environm5t        
conducive to hold+ a g5u9e & inclusive  
dialogue--:i* ! ,gov]nm5t says x wants4 
''' ,i also call on ! au?orities to     
release all ^? depriv$ ( _! lib]ty 9    
connection ) _! intr9sic "r to peaceful 
prote/ & diss5t1 & to ensure p :o       
coop]ate ) ! ,,un & o!r human rights    

organizations d n face reprisals4 ,x is 
a fundam5tal t5et ( democracy t p f all 
p>ts ( society %\ld be able to engage   
freely 9 debate ab\t ! future ( _!      
c\ntry1 )\t fe> ( arre/ or              
intimidation44  7#f7 ,on ,april #d1     
#bjai1 ! ,int]-,am]ican ,commission on  
,human ,rights ( ! ,organization (      
,am]ican ,/ates condemn$ ! human rights 
abuses p]petrat$ by ! ,ortega regime1   
/at+ t1 the acts ( repression 9 "q      
include illegal arbitr>y arre/s1 !      
prohibition ( all =ms ( social          
demon/ration ( prote/1 ! refusal to     
re-e/abli% ! legal /atus ( civil society
 organizations1 & ! increas+ repression 
( p :o are be+ depriv$ ( _! lib]ty4 ,!  
,,ia*r once m calls = repression 9 !    
c\ntry to cease & = public lib]ties to  
be re/or$44  7#g7 ,int]national human   
rights gr\ps su* z ,human ,rights ,wat*1
 ! ,committee to ,protect ,j\rnali/s1 & 
,report]s ,)\t ,bord]s h highlight$ !   
,ortega regime's ef=ts to sil5ce        
indep5d5t m$ia4 ,= example1 (fices (    

,radio ,d>io 7 burn$ d[n aft] ! prote/s 
began 9 ,april #bjah1 ,nic>agua's mo/   
widely read newspap] ,la ,pr5sa's pr9t+ 
mat]ials 7 confiscat$ 9 ,janu>y #bjai1 &
 num]\s j\rnali/s 7 arre/$ & imprison$  
s9ce ! prote/s began1 :ile dea? ?reats &
 o!r intimidation tactics h =c$ doz5s ( 
j\rnali/s to flee ! c\ntry4  7#h7 ,9    
response to corruption & human rights   
abuses1 ! ,unit$ ,/ates ,dep>tm5t (     
,treasury has sanction$ six ,nic>aguans 
= corruption & gross violations ( human 
rights4 ,^? sanction$ include ! ,vice   
,presid5t1 :o is ! wife ( corrupt       
,presid5t ,daniel ,ortega1 z well z !   
=m] ,presid5t ( ! ,supreme ,electoral   
,c\ncil1 ! ,director ( ! ,nic>aguan     
,national ,police1 a ,national ,security
 ,advisor to ! ,presid5t1 ! ,political  
,secret>y = ! municipality ( ,managua1 &
 ! ,treasur] ( ! ,s&9i/a ,p>ty4  #c4    
,s5se ( congress ,x is ! s5se ( !       
,congress t-- 7#a7 ,nic>agua's economic1
 humanit>ian1 & human rights crisis has 
result$ 9 extraord9>y & tempor>y        

conditions t curr5tly prev5t ,nic>aguan 
nationals f safely return+ to ,nic>agua2
 &  7#b7 ,nic>agua %\ld be designat$ "u 
subsection 7b77#a77;,c7 ( section #bdd (
 ! ,immigration & ,nationality ,act 7#h 
,u4,s4,c4 #abed;a7 = a p]iod ( #ah mon?s
 to p]mit nationals ( ,nic>agua to be   
eligible = tempor>y protect$ /atus 9    
accordance ) su* section4  #d4          
,designation = purposes ( grant+        
tempor>y protect$ /atus  7a7            
,designation  7#a7 ,9 g5]al ,= purposes 
( section #bdd ( ! ,immigration &       
,nationality ,act 7#h ,u4,s4,c4         
#abed;a71 ,nic>agua %all be treat$ z if 
x _h be5 designat$ "u subsection        
7b77#a77;,c7 ( t section1 subject to !  
provisions ( ?is section4  7#b7 ,p]iod (
 designation ,! initial p]iod ( !       
designation ref]r$ to 9 p>agraph 7#a7   
%all be = ! #ah-mon? p]iod beg9n+ on !  
date ( ! enactm5t ( ?is ,act4  7b7      
,ali5s eligible ,z a result ( !         
designation made "u subsection 7a71 an  
ali5 :o is a national ( ,nic>agua is    

deem$ to satisfy ! requirem5ts "u       
p>agraph 7#a7 ( section #bdd7;c7 ( !    
,immigration & ,nationality ,act 7#h    
,u4,s4,c4 #abed;a7c771 subject to       
p>agraph 7#c7 ( su* section1 if ! ali5--
  7#a7 has be5 cont9u\sly physically    
pres5t 9 ! ,unit$ ,/ates s9ce ! date ( !
 enactm5t ( ?is ,act2  7#b7 is          
admissible z an immigrant1 except z     
o!rwise provid$ 9 p>agraph 7#b77;,a7 (  
su* section1 & is n ineligible =        
tempor>y protect$ /atus "u p>agraph     
7#b77;,b7 ( su* section2 &  7#c7 regi/]s
 = tempor>y protect$ /atus 9 a mann]    
e/abli%$ by ! ,secret>y ( ,homel&       
,security4  7c7 ,cons5t ,to travel      
abroad  7#a7 ,9 g5]al ,! ,secret>y (    
,homel& ,security %all give prior cons5t
 to travel abroad1 9 accordance )       
section #bdd7;f77#c7 ( ! ,immigration & 
,nationality ,act 7#h ,u4,s4,c4         
#abed;a7f77#c771 to an ali5 :o is grant$
 tempor>y protect$ /atus pursuant to !  
designation made "u subsection 7a7 if ! 
ali5 e/abli%es to ! satisfaction ( !    

,secret>y ( ,homel& ,security t em]g5cy 
& ext5uat+ circum/ances beyond ! control
 ( ! ali5 require ! ali5 to dep>t = a   
brief1 tempor>y trip abroad4  7#b7      
,treatm5t ^u return ,an ali5 return+ to 
! ,unit$ ,/ates 9 accordance ) an       
au?orization describ$ 9 p>agraph 7#a7   
%all be treat$ z any o!r return+ ali5   
provid$ tempor>y protect$ /atus "u      
section #bdd ( ! ,immigration &         
,nationality ,act 7#h ,u4,s4,c4         
#abed;a74