The Biden administration on Friday ramped up critical humanitarian programs for migrants, buying time for beneficiaries before President-elect Trump takes office.
The Department of Homeland Security announced it is extending the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) designation for El Salvador, Sudan, Ukraine, and Venezuela.
Under TPS, nationals of countries deemed too dangerous to be deported are allowed to stay and work in the United States while the designation remains in effect. Designations may be granted or extended for up to 18 months at a time.
Immigration advocates are urging President Biden to use as much executive authority as possible to protect immigrants who are functionally illegal and could be subject to deportation due to actions taken under the Trump administration. I'm looking for it.
National TPS Alliance spokesman Jose Palma welcomed the news, especially for Salvadorans, but said “hundreds of thousands of migrants from Haiti, Nepal, Nicaragua and other troubled countries remain unprotected. They are at great risk of being lost and forced to migrate,” he added. leave. “
TPS is essentially a program created on the fly in 1990 for Salvadoran war refugees, but in many cases, including in El Salvador, extensions were granted more or less immediately, creating permanent beneficiaries, so the first During the next Trump administration, it faced attacks.
The first Trump administration sought to curtail the program through layoffs, threatening to lapse the designation and, in many cases, force long-term U.S. residents out of legal status.
Although the court action and timing halted efforts to lift TPS, advocates remain wary that the new Trump administration could try to lift protections from the program again.
“Despite the incoming Trump administration's threats to cut off legal recourse, TPS is an important legal tool that allows beneficiaries to live and work in the United States even if they cannot safely return to their home countries,” Pramila said. said Congressman Jayapal (D-Washington). .) said in a statement.
“While there is much work to do to repair our broken immigration system, these designations are an important step that will add certainty and stability to the lives of so many families across this country. We urge the United States to use its authority strongly to designate TPS for all eligible countries.”
TPS recipients have no clear path to apply for other immigration statuses, meaning many have no choice but to ask for an extension, even after decades of living and working in the United States.
As a result, some communities, such as the Salvadoran diaspora, have become economically dependent on the program. The Biden administration also significantly strengthened TPS protections for Venezuelan and Haitian nationals, bringing the total number of program beneficiaries to more than 800,000.
“We want more than 830,000 Latino immigrants, many of whom have lived in our country for decades, to remain with American families, work legally in the United States, and contribute to our economy. We applaud the Biden administration for taking action to continue to protect the United States. According to research, In 2021 alone, TPS holders contributed more than $2.2 billion in tax dollars, including nearly $1 billion to state and local governments. They also have $8 billion in purchasing power that powers countless U.S. businesses,” said Janet Murguia, president and CEO of UnidosUS.
The Department of Homeland Security on Friday announced four extensions for up to 18 months, meaning the Trump administration will have to address the issue no later than 2026.
