The Department of Homeland Security also extended temporary protected status for more than 103,000 Ukrainians and 1,900 Sudanese already living in the US.
ADVERTISEMENTAbout 600,000 Venezuelans and more than 230,000 Salvadorans already living in the United States can stay legally for another 18 months, the Department of Homeland Security announced Friday, a little more than a week before President-elect Donald Trump takes office with promises of tough immigration policies.
The Biden administration strongly supported Temporary Protected Status (TPS), which it expanded to about one million people.
But TPS faces an uncertain future under Trump, who tried to sharply limit its use during his first term as president.
Federal regulations would allow the extensions to be terminated early, although this has never been done before.
Homeland Security also extended TPS to more than 103,000 Ukrainians and 1,900 Sudanese already living in the US.
For José Palma, a 48-year-old Salvadoran who has lived in the US since 1998, the extension means he can still legally work in Houston, at least for now.
He is the only person in his family with temporary status; his four children were born US citizens and his wife is a permanent resident.
If TPS is not extended, he could be deported and separated from the rest of his family.
“It brings me peace of mind, a breath of fresh air,” Palma said. “It gives me stability.”
Palma, who works as an organizer for a day labor organization, sends about $400 (390 euros) a month to his 73-year-old mother, who is retired and has no income.
The TPS designation gives people legal authority to be in the country, but does not provide them with a long-term path to citizenship.
They rely on the government to renew their status when it expires.
Conservative critics say that over time, restoration of protected status becomes automatic, regardless of what happens in a person’s home country.
Friday’s announcement, which came as Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro took office for a third six-year term in Caracas amid widespread international condemnation, “is based on the severe humanitarian emergency the country continues to face due to the political and economic crisis under the Maduro regime , “, it was announced from the department.
Homeland Security cited “environmental conditions in El Salvador that prevent individuals from returning,” particularly heavy rains and storms over the past two years.
ADVERTISEMENTCongress created TPS in 1990 to prevent deportations to countries suffering natural disasters or civil strife, giving people the authority to work in increments of up to 18 months at a time.
TPS protects about one million immigrants from 17 countries, including people from Venezuela, Haiti, Honduras, Nicaragua, Afghanistan, Sudan, Ukraine, and Lebanon.
Venezuelans are one of the biggest beneficiaries and their extension runs from April 2025 to October 2026.
Salvadorans won TPS in 2001 after earthquakes rocked the Central American country. TPS for Salvadorans was set to expire in March and was extended until September of the following year.
ADVERTISEMENTTrump and his running mate, JD Vance, have suggested they will scale back the use of TPS and temporary status policies as they pursue mass deportations.
During his first administration, Trump ended TPS for El Salvador, but it was held up in court.
In recent months, advocates have stepped up pressure on the Biden administration to seek an extension of TPS for those who already have it and to protect people from other countries like Guatemala and Ecuador.
“This extension is just a small victory,” said Felipe Arnoldo DÃaz, an activist with the National TPS Federation.
ADVERTISEMENT“Our biggest concern is that after El Salvador, there are countries whose TPS is about to expire and have been left out” like Nepal, Nicaragua and Honduras.
Victor Macedo, a 40-year-old Venezuelan, arrived in the US in 2021 after receiving death threats at home for being a political opposition activist.
He couldn’t believe the news of the extension, as his TPS was due to expire in April.
“It’s a very big relief. I was scared,” said Macedo, who works in remodeling homes in Florida. “TPS helps me to have legal status, to work and to be able to drive.”
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