President Joe Biden has granted Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for migrants from El Salvador, Sudan, Ukraine, and Venezuela, effectively shielding nearly 1 million individuals from deportation, according to New York Times.
The latest TPS extension includes approximately 200,000 Salvadorans, 1,900 Sudanese, 103,700 Ukrainians, and 600,000 Venezuelans. These groups will be allowed to remain in the United States for at least another 18 months.
The program, which provides work permits and temporary residency to individuals from countries impacted by armed conflict, natural disasters, or political instability, originally faced expiration later this year.
TPS and Its Expansion Under Biden
TPS was introduced through a law signed by President George H.W. Bush in 1990, designed as a temporary humanitarian measure.
However, critics argue that the program has evolved into a form of de facto amnesty, granting long-term residency without requiring legislative approval.
Under Biden’s administration, TPS protections have been significantly expanded. Nearly 500,000 migrants from countries such as Cameroon, Myanmar, Syria, and Venezuela have received deportation relief. This represents half of the total number of individuals currently benefiting from TPS.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) justified the extensions by citing environmental and political challenges in the migrants’ home