The Southern Poverty Law Center urged the U.S. government Tuesday to suspend visa requirements for people in the Bahamas affected by Hurricane Dorian.

"At this very moment, thousands—if not tens of thousands of people—are trapped in the Bahamas on devastated islands," said center Senior Supervising Attorney Paul Chavez, who works with the group's Immigrant Justice Project. He issued a statement Tuesday urgently calling on the government to intervene.

"Before the situation grows more dire, we urge the United States government to suspend visa requirements immediately for those impacted by Hurricane Dorian," Chavez said.

The storm hit the Bahamas as a Category 5 hurricane and stayed for days before making its way up the East Coast, mostly offshore, sending waves and winds over Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas.

People in the Bahamas have been left without homes or even shelter or basic supplies.

"We hope the president will hear this call, including calls by Republican and Democratic lawmakers alike, especially those here in Florida. The U.S. must immediately lift these requirements so those seeking refuge, especially by ferry and boat, are able to leave," Chavez said.

Sens. Marco Rubio and Rick Scot, both Florida Republicans, have already asked President Donald Trump to waive or suspend certain visa requirements for Bahamian citizens who have relatives residing in the U.S. They said doing so would allow citizens of the Bahamas, who have low visa overstay rates, to stay with family in the United States while the country rebuilds in the wake of Hurricane Dorian's unprecedented destruction.

Likewise, Rep. Brian Mast, R-Florida, sent a letter asking the president to expedite, waive or suspend certain visa requirements for citizens of the Bahamas affected by the storm who are seeking shelter with relatives in the United States. Mast's letter also was signed by a bipartisan group of Congress members.

Mast said in the letter: "The United States and the Bahamas share a strong bilateral relationship with historically close economic ties and strong cooperation on reducing crime and mitigating migration issues. With the closest island less than 50 miles off the coast of Florida, there are approximately 20,000 Bahamians living in South Florida. This devastating hurricane has left so many without shelter, food, and clean water. As the Commonwealth of the Bahamas begins relief efforts, the United States government should help ensure that those who were left with nothing can easily seek shelter with their families in the United States. With the death toll continuing to rise, Floridians stand ready to assist our ally in the wake of this disaster."

The Southern Poverty Law Center's Chavez had represented immigrant and low income communities in California before joining the Montgomery-based civil rights group for Alabama, Georgia, Florida in May. He previously led Centro Legal del la Raza and before that served the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights of the San Francisco Bay Area.

"We can't afford confusion when people's lives are at stake. The administration and Congress need to speak with one voice making clear that refugees from Dorian are welcome without restriction or fear of reprisal," Chavez said in the statement. "Without such relief, there is no doubt the humanitarian crisis, growing worse by the day, will cause much more unnecessary suffering and push the death toll higher. We can't stop a storm, but we can suspend these restrictions to allow our Bahamian brothers and sisters to find safety in the United States."