The Biden administration announced Friday a sweeping extension of deportation protections for hundreds of thousands of people from Sudan, Ukraine, El Salvador and Venezuela, allowing President-elect Donald J. Trump to quickly strip those benefits upon departure. became almost impossible. office.
The program is called an extension of “Temporary Protected Status” and allows immigrants to remain in the country with work permits and deportation shields for an additional 18 months after their current protection period expires in the spring. can. Late last year, Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken recommended expanded protections in a series of letters.
For decades, Democratic and Republican administrations have designated protections for citizens of countries deemed to be in turmoil and unable to return safely. With war breaking out in Ukraine and instability in countries like Venezuela and Haiti, President Biden expanded who can receive the status.
“These designations are based on careful review and interagency collaboration to ensure that people affected by environmental disasters and instability receive the protection they need, while making meaningful contributions to local communities. New York Congressman Adriano Espaillat, chairman of the Hispanic Congress, said. caucus meeting.
Trump has vowed to end the program, at least for certain countries. Immigration advocates had called on the Biden administration to extend the program to many of these countries before taking office.
During his first term, Trump revoked the immigration status of some 400,000 people from El Salvador and other countries, arguing that conditions on the ground had changed and protections were no longer warranted. The move was challenged in court and did not take effect, but he is expected to seek a second term as part of a pledge to carry out mass deportations.
As of 2024, more than 1 million immigrants from countries in Latin America, the Caribbean, Africa, and the Middle East will have Temporary Protected Status, according to the Congressional Research Service.
The measure would make it legally difficult for Mr. Trump to roll back protections for citizens of the four countries, at least until they expire at some point in 2026.
“President Biden has expanded protections for nationals of all of these countries, so President Trump will not be able to deport these people for some time,” said Steve Yale Roher, an immigration scholar at Cornell Law School.
“Mr. Trump cannot ignore what Congress enacted into law in 1990,” he said.
About 600,000 Venezuelans currently in protection will be allowed to renew their stay in the United States until October 2026, and about 232,000 immigrants from El Salvador will also be able to do so. More than 100,000 Ukrainians will also be able to stay in the United States until October 2026. Approximately 1,900 people from Sudan will also be allowed to renew their residence status.
This program was created by George H. -Signed by President W. Bush. .
During his campaign, Vice President-elect J.D. Vance criticized the Haitians who have settled in and benefited from his home state of Ohio, calling the plan illegal. Haiti has been plagued by political turmoil and gang violence, and approximately 200,000 people are protected from deportation under the TPS until early 2026.
“We're going to stop granting temporary protected status in large numbers,” Vance said in October.
Critics argue that temporary protection has been repeatedly extended and has become a de facto means of keeping people in the country indefinitely, contrary to its intended short-term solution.
The program became almost permanent for many immigrants, but it also recognized how troubled many parts of the world are and updated the U.S. immigration system to the realities of modern global immigration. It also highlights the failure of Congress to pass legislation to do so.
Migrants from several countries, including El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua, have been protected for more than 20 years. Other countries such as Ethiopia, Lebanon, and Syria have also been recently added.
If this status were abolished, hundreds of thousands of immigrants would immediately become illegal aliens in the United States unless they leave the country immediately. Many of them have U.S.-born children and work in businesses and jobs that rely on immigrant labor, such as construction, hospitality, and health care.
In cities like Denver, temporary status allows thousands of Venezuelans who arrived from the southern border in buses provided by Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott over the past two years to legally work there and integrate into the economy. Now I can do it.
Mayor Mike Johnston said he applauds the Biden administration's announcement of extending the designation.
“In Denver, people with Temporary Protected Status work important jobs, contribute to the economy and are essential members of our community,” he said.
Beneficiary Gonzalo Roa, 43, a Venezuelan from Columbus, Ohio, said he was worried about the fate of the program.
“It's great news that it's being renovated,” said Lore, who works at a car dealership and runs a small restaurant with his wife.
Without it, Roa said, he would lose his job at the dealership and his two Venezuelan-born children would not be eligible for college scholarships or other benefits that require legal status.
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