The United States will grant temporary relief from deportation and access to work permits to almost half a million Venezuelans already in the country, U.S. officials said Wednesday, a move that follows calls from Democrats to help newly arrived immigrants work legally.
Around 472,000 Venezuelans who were in the United States on July 31 or before will be able to benefit from the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for a period of 18 months. About 243,000 Venezuelans already enjoy this status, derived from a 2021 designation that was renewed last year.
President Joe Biden, a Democrat seeking re-election in 2024, has faced a record number of illegal border crossings, fueled by a sharp increase in recent years in migrants fleeing economic and political turmoil in Venezuela. .
Other Democrats, including New York Mayor Eric Adams, have called on Biden to expand access to work for newly arrived immigrants, who have strained local and state resources.
The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said that the expansion of protected status for Venezuelans was justified due to “the growing instability and lack of security in Venezuela”.
The cold diplomatic relations between the United States and Venezuela make it difficult to deport Venezuelans to their country of origin. But a United States agreement with Mexico has allowed thousands of people who do not have Mexican nationality – including Venezuelans – to be deported to Mexico in recent months.
Venezuela’s Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The number of migrants illegally crossing the U.S.-Mexico border dropped in May after the Biden administration put in place stricter asylum rules, but crossings have picked up in recent months.
To help free up Border Patrol agents, the Pentagon will send 800 additional active-duty troops to the border, adding to the 2,500 National Guard troops already deployed, the White House said.
Additionally, the Biden administration will expand nationwide a program launched in May to quickly process immigrant families seeking asylum and potentially deport them.
DHS said it would increase the validity of work permits for certain immigrants, including asylum seekers, to five years so the government can focus on processing new applications.
Source: Gestion
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