In a move that could potentially delay the US President-elect Donald Trump's plans to crack down on immigration, the Joe Biden administration has extended Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for over 900,000 immigrants from Venezuela, El Salvador, Ukraine, and Sudan, reports NDTV.
This decision, announced just days before Trump's inauguration, grants these individuals a deportation reprieve and access to work permits for an additional 18 months in the US.
The move is seen as a strategic effort to safeguard the rights of vulnerable immigrants, who have been living and working in the US under TPS.
By extending the program, the Biden administration is effectively putting in place a temporary barrier against any potential attempts by the Trump administration to dismantle or significantly alter the program.
TPS has become a contentious issue, with Republicans arguing that it has been granted too liberally to too many foreigners, and acts as a draw to migrants to come to the US illegally.
However, the program has been expanded aggressively under Biden, with over 1 million people from 17 countries currently living in the US under TPS.
The extension of TPS for Venezuelans, in particular, is significant, given the country's ongoing humanitarian crisis.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) of US cited the “inhumane” government of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, who was sworn in for a third term on Friday, as justification for the extension.
Bd-pratidin English/Tanvir Raihan
