US President Joe Biden has extended Temporary Protected Status (TPS) protections to migrants from four countries – Venezuela, El Salvador, Ukraine, and Sudan – just ahead of Donald Trump’s inauguration. The 18-month extension will safeguard around 1 million people, preventing mass deportations for now.
The move counters Trump’s plan to limit immigration avenues, which he had framed during his campaign as a top priority. However, Biden’s decision makes it difficult for Trump to unilaterally end the program for these countries.
The protections apply to approximately 600,000 Venezuelans, 232,000 Salvadorians, 103,000 Ukrainians, and 2,000 Sudanese living in the US. The extensions will keep these individuals from being deported until at least 2026.
According to immigration expert Steve Yale-Loehr, Biden’s extension makes it “very difficult” for Trump to end the program. “Because President Biden has extended protection for the nationals of all these countries, President Trump will be unable to deport these individuals any time soon,” Yale-Loehr stated.
The decision was made after careful review and interagency collaboration, with Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas citing the need to protect those affected by environmental disasters and instability while allowing them to contribute to US communities.
Source: https://www.thedailybeast.com/joe-biden-moves-to-protect-migrants-ahead-of-donald-trump-takeover