The Biden administration, in its efforts to circumvent an executive order of his predecessor in preparing for the probable return of President-elect Donald Trump, made an effort to continue temporary humanitarian protection for as many as 800,000 immigrants, protecting from deportation a projected 230,000 Salvadorans and 600,000 Venezuelans in the US who will presumably come under policies sought by the new Republican Administration. Democrats have become increasingly apprehensive over Trump’s promise to initiate the biggest deportation drive in US history.
The decision to extend TPS came on the heels of urgent calls by immigrant advocates and lawmakers for the Department of Homeland Security to act. TPS is intended to shield individuals from deportation to countries facing dire circumstances, such as disasters or conflict.
One cited major reason for this extension was the worsening environmental conditions that struck El Salvador by a series of extreme weather events. Similarly, protections for Venezuelans were renewed that came on the same day of the controversial swearing-in of a third term of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro after facing widespread condemnation domestically and across the globe.
The tense geopolitical ambiance was further crystallized by a United States announcement just hours after Maduro’s inauguration to slap a US$65-million bounty on his capture and that of two close associates over international narco-trafficking charges.
Currently, nearly one million immigrants from 17 countries are beneficiaries of TPS, including people from Venezuela, Haiti, Honduras, Nicaragua, Afghanistan, Sudan, and Lebanon. Salvadorans, who are among the largest groups protected, were granted TPS in 2001 after a series of earthquakes devastated their home country. While TPS allows individuals to stay legally in the U.S., it does not provide a pathway to citizenship.
With the 2024 presidential campaign fully underway, Trump and his ticket-mate, JD Vance have indicated a full intention to curtail the granting of TPS and temporary immigration status. Previous to this, Trump had been able to nullify TPS for immigrants that came from El Salvador, which was met by legal challenges back then.
Rights advocates called the extension of TPS a “small victory.” Felipe Arnoldo Díaz, an activist with the National TPS Alliance, called it a “small victory,” voicing frustration that other countries -Venezuela, Nepal, Sudan, Nicaragua, and Honduras- whose TPS also expired were left out of the latest ruling.
