In a crucial move just before the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump, the Biden administration took a bold step to protect nearly a million immigrants. Extending Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to individuals from Venezuela, El Salvador, Ukraine, and Sudan, the decision ensures these immigrants have a reprieve from deportation and continued access to work permits for another 18 months.
This expansion constitutes a strategic step to protect susceptible populations against potential future shifts in immigration policies that may pose threats to their rights.
TPS Extension
The Biden administration extended TPS just days before Donald Trump’s inauguration, giving a critical cushion to nearly 900,000 immigrants. TPS is given to the nationals of countries that are suffering from ongoing conflicts, natural disasters, or other crises, allowing them to stay and work in the United States without the immediate threat of deportation.
Under this extension, immigrants from Venezuela, El Salvador, Ukraine, and Sudan will continue to enjoy the protections offered by TPS.
Strategic Move Against Future Immigration Crackdowns
This move is, in fact, a preventive measure that ensures vulnerable immigrants will remain legal by the time President Biden’s term ends. The move has effectively pushed any potential future dismantling or rolling back of the protections given by the TPS program by the incoming Trump administration. For many, this extension has been a lifeline in uncertain times.
The TPS program has been one of the issues of continuous debate in US politics. Critics, particularly Republicans, argue that TPS is given too liberally and can even encourage illegal immigration. However, the extension under Biden serves as a strong stance in favor of immigrant rights. Since he took office, Biden has aggressively expanded TPS, with over 1 million people from 17 countries currently living in the US under the program.
Extension Of TPS For Venezuela
The most significant extension was that of TPS for nationals of Venezuela. The country has been under President Nicolás Maduro’s leadership since the humanitarian crisis began. This prolonged humanitarian crisis formed the basis on which the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) granted more protection to more than 600,000 Venezuelan immigrants due to the continued political and economic upheaval.
While the Venezuelan extension garners much of the focus, the TPS extension also includes other nations facing major crises:
El Salvador: Over 230,000 Salvadorans qualify for ongoing TPS protection. This extension is a long continuum of TPS granted following major natural disasters: earthquakes in the country devastated areas in 2001.
Ukraine: More than 100,000 Ukrainians will retain TPS due to the country’s continued and unstable conflict and war in that region.
Sudan: Some 1,900 Sudanese nationals will also be covered by the TPS extension because of the ongoing violence in their country of origin.
History Of TPS
The TPS program was initiated in 1990 under the Immigration Act of President George H.W. Bush and was meant to provide temporary protection to foreign nationals living inside the US who are unable to return to their country of origin because of natural disasters, armed conflict, or even political strife that leaves their home countries looking perilous. Over the years, it has embraced an enormous host of countries that face catastrophic situations.
This extension, therefore, comes as a critical palliative for nearly a million immigrants-the relief being their having a temporary protection against the uncertainty surrounding their status in the United States-as the Biden administration prepares to transition. TPS is always a subject of heated political debate, but this decision reminds one that, first and foremost, it is about providing refuge and support to those fleeing turmoil.
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