A House Republican is calling on the White House to clarify remarks President Trump reportedly made during an Oval Office meeting Thursday referring to Haiti and several African nations as “shithole” countries.
In a tweet posted Thursday evening, Florida Rep. Carlos Curbelo defended immigrants with Temporary Protected Status (TPS) who have been allowed to remain in the United States due to armed conflict or environmental disaster in their home countries.
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“The men and women who have status under the TPS program are among the most humble and hard working in our country. They improve quality of life in our communities and many Americans depend on them to support family life,” Curbelo tweeted.
“Under no circumstances is it acceptable to degrade, denigrate, or dehumanize #TPS immigrants,” he added. “The White House must immediately explain the situation and leave no doubt regarding what was said and in what context.”
In a third tweet, the lawmaker added that any immigration deal reached between Democrats and Republicans must include a “permanent solution” for TPS immigrants.
Curbelo is a top Democratic target in this year’s elections. Hillary Clinton carried his heavily Hispanic district by 16 points in 2016, even as Curbelo cruised to reelection.
The White House issued a brief statement Thursday in response to The Washington Post story that quoted the president referring to Haiti and some African countries as “shithole” nations. He allegedly made the remark during a meeting on immigration reform with lawmakers in the Oval Office.
The statement from the White House did not deny Trump’s use of the term.
“Certain Washington politicians choose to fight for foreign countries, but President Trump will always fight for the American people,” White House spokesman Raj Shah said.
Trump has reportedly made questionable assertions about Haitian and African immigrants in the past. In December, The New York Times reported Trump said Haitian immigrants “all have AIDS,” and Nigerian immigrants would never “go back to their huts” if granted entrance to the U.S. The White House denies Trump said those things.