The U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced on Friday that approximately 600,000 Venezuelans and more than 230,000 Salvadorans already residing in the United States will be allowed to remain legally for another 18 months.
This decision came just a week before President-elect Donald Trump took office, promising to implement tough immigration policies. In contrast, the Biden administration has been a strong advocate for Temporary Protected Status (TPS), expanding its coverage to include around one million individuals, offering them legal protection and work authorization in the U.S.
Temporary Protected Status (TPS) faces an uncertain future under President-elect Donald Trump, who sought to significantly reduce its use during his first term. While federal regulations allow for the possibility of terminating the TPS extensions early, this has never occurred before. Despite these concerns, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security also announced an extension of TPS for more than 103,000 Ukrainians and 1,900 Sudanese already living in the country.
Conservative critics argue that over time, the renewal of TPS becomes automatic, even as conditions in the individual’s home country may change. However, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s recent announcement emphasized that the decision to extend TPS for Venezuelans is based on the ongoing “severe humanitarian emergency” caused by the political and economic crises under Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s regime.
This announcement came as Maduro began his third six-year term in office amid widespread international condemnation.
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