WASHINGTON, Oct 29: As many as 34 members of the US Congress have asked President George Bush to grant the temporary protected status to Pakistanis living in the US and to urgently send more helicopters to the earthquake-hit areas.

In a letter sent to the White House on Friday, the lawmakers urged President Bush to “immediately add Pakistan to the list of countries designated under the Temporary Protected Status and to temporarily suspend the deportation proceedings of Pakistanis from the United States.” The letter also asks the president to send more helicopters to Pakistan.

TPS allows aliens who do not legally qualify as refugees but are nonetheless fleeing or reluctant to return to potentially dangerous situations to temporarily remain in the United States. “Granting TPS to Pakistan nationals is consistent with the interests of the United States and it is the right thing to do,” the members of Congress tell President Bush. But, the members also ask the president to put the homeland security issues first while making a decision on the TPS.

“We urge you to direct the Department of Homeland Security to now contribute to the relief effort with our patience toward Pakistani nationals currently in the US and grant them TPS,” the letter said.

Asking President Bush to send more helicopters to Pakistan, the lawmakers said: “We understand that there are currently 381 US military personnel and 12 helicopters supporting relief operations in Pakistan. The Department of Defence has reported that 13 additional helicopters should arrive in Pakistan in the next few days. We are proud that our nation has already provided this assistance, more can and needs to be done without delay.”