President Joe Biden has extended the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) program for migrants from several countries, including Sudan, Ukraine, and Venezuela, just days before the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump.
This extension will allow hundreds of thousands of individuals to remain in the United States with legal protections and work permits, making it challenging for the incoming administration to revoke their benefits immediately.
The TPS extension provides an additional 18 months of protection for eligible migrants, safeguarding them from deportation and enabling them to work legally.
Without this renewal, many individuals faced losing their status as early as spring.
The move reflects Biden's broader efforts since taking office in January 2021 to expand the TPS program significantly.
His administration has designated citizens from 17 countries, including Afghanistan, Haiti, Sudan, and Lebanon, for TPS due to political instability or natural disasters in their home countries.
The program, established by Congress in 1990, has historically been used to shield individuals from deportation during periods of war, political upheaval, or natural calamities.
Previous examples include protections for Salvadorans during the civil war, Rwandans during the genocide, and victims of volcanic eruptions in Montserrat.
Despite its humanitarian goals, TPS has become a contentious issue. President-elect Trump has signaled plans for mass deportations and hinted at scaling back the program, potentially impacting over a million migrants currently protected under it.
Venezuelans, Haitians, and Salvadorans are among the largest groups relying on TPS and face heightened risks if their status is revoked.
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