In an effort to make it nearly hard for President-elect Donald J. Trump to quickly revoke the benefit once he assumes office, the Biden administration on Friday extended deportation protections for hundreds of thousands of individuals from Sudan, Ukraine, El Salvador, and Venezuela.
The immigrants can stay in the nation with work permits and a shield from deportation for an additional 18 months when their present protection expires in the spring thanks to the extension of Temporary Protected Status, as the program is known. In a series of letters late last year, Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken suggested that the protections be extended.
The protection of people of unstable nations that are considered unsafe to return to has been a policy of both Democratic and Republican administrations for decades. With war breaking out in Ukraine and instability engulfing nations like Venezuela and Haiti, President Biden has broadened the pool of candidates for the status.
The chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Representative Adriano Espaillat of New York, stated, “These designations are rooted in careful review and interagency collaboration to ensure those affected by environmental disasters and instability are given the protections they need while continuing to contribute meaningfully to our communities.”
At least for some nations, Mr. Trump has pledged to terminate the program. Before he takes office, the Biden administration was urged by immigration supporters to extend it for many of those nations.
About 400,000 individuals from El Salvador and other nations had their status revoked by Mr. Trump during his first term, claiming that the protection was no longer necessary because of changes in the country. He is anticipated to make another attempt during his second term as part of his promise to carry out mass deportations, even though the measure was contested in court and did not go into force.
As of 2024, over a million migrants from Latin American, Caribbean, African, and Middle Eastern nations were granted Temporary Protected Status, according to the Congressional Research Service.
At least until the safeguards for citizens of the four nations expire in 2026, the action makes it legally challenging for Mr. Trump to remove them.
