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 countries.
In the case of El Salvador, DHS attributed the decision to “environmental conditions that prevent individuals from safely returning.”
Political and Legal Implications
Biden’s use of TPS has drawn criticism from conservatives who view the program’s expansion as a political strategy to reshape immigration policy without Congressional oversight.
Former President Donald Trump repeatedly vowed to curtail TPS during his term, but legal challenges and bipartisan resistance made it difficult to implement changes.
Legal scholars suggest that reversing Biden’s TPS extensions would be a complex process. Steve Yale-Loehr, a professor at Cornell Law School, told The New York Times: “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. He can’t ignore what Congress wrote into law in 1990.”
Relief for Migrants
For affected individuals, the extensions offer stability and the opportunity to remain in the United States. The DHS press release emphasized the practical benefits of TPS, stating that those eligible can re-register and maintain legal residency status through September 2026.
While the administration frames the move as a humanitarian necessity, critics argue it sets a precedent for bypassing legislative processes, raising questions about the program’s future and its impact on immigration policy.
