Biden buys time for immigrants ahead of Trump inauguration

The Biden administration on Friday bolstered a key humanitarian program for immigrants, buying time for beneficiaries before President-elect Trump is sworn in.

The Department of Homeland Security announced the extension of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) designations for El Salvador, Sudan, Ukraine and Venezuela.

Under TPS, nationals of countries deemed too dangerous for deportations are allowed to remain and work in the United States while the designations are active. Designations can be granted or extended for up to 18 months at a time.

Immigration advocates have been calling on President Biden to exercise as much executive muscle as possible to protect immigrants who could be rendered functionally undocumented and deportable by actions taken under Trump.

José Palma, spokesperson for the National TPS Alliance, welcomed the news, especially for Salvadorans, but added that “hundreds of thousands of migrants from Haiti, Nepal, Nicaragua and other troubled countries — remain in great danger of losing their protections and being forced to leave.”

TPS, a program essentially created ad hoc for Salvadoran war refugees in 1990, faced attacks during the first Trump administration because in many cases — including El Salvador’s — extensions have been granted more or less summarily, creating a permanent population of beneficiaries.

The first Trump administration sought to reduce the program by attrition, letting designations expire, in many cases threatening to push long-term U.S. residents out of legal status.

Though court action and timing interrupted efforts to undo TPS, advocates remain wary that a new Trump administration could again try to undo the program’s protections.

“While the incoming Trump administration has threatened to cut off legal pathways, TPS is a critical legal pathway, allowing beneficiaries to reside and work in the United States when they cannot safely return to their home country,” Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) said in a statement.

“There is much work to be done to fix our broken immigration system, but these designations are an important step to add certainty and stability to the lives of so many families across this country. I urge the Administration to robustly use its authorities to designate TPS for all eligible countries.”

TPS beneficiaries don’t have a clear pathway to apply for other immigration statuses, meaning many are left with no choice but to hope for extensions, even after decades living and working in the United States.

That’s made some communities, like the Salvadoran diaspora, economically dependent on the program. The Biden administration has also significantly increased TPS protections for Venezuelan and Haitian nationals, driving the program’s total number of beneficiaries north of 800,000.

“We applaud the Biden administration for taking action to protect more than 830,000 Latino immigrants — many of whom have lived in our country for decades — to remain with their American families, work legally in the United States and continue contributing to our nation’s economy. Research shows that in 2021 alone, TPS-holders contributed more than $2.2 billion in taxes, including almost $1 billion to state and local governments. They also held $8 billion in spending power, which supports countless U.S. businesses,” said Janet Murguía, president and CEO of UnidosUS.

The Department of Homeland Security announced the four extensions Friday for the maximum 18-month period, meaning the Trump administration will have to address the issue in 2026 at the latest.

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