A number of Democratic lawmakers have pleaded with Biden to dole out TPS extensions before he leaves office, calling the remaining days he has left a “critical window” before the Trump administration comes into power and cracks down on illegal immigration.
WASHINGTON, DC – MAY 01: Gustavo Torres (C), Executive Director of CASA, an immigrants rights and outreach organization, marches with fellow activists during a rally for migrant rights on International Workers Day on May 01, 2023 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
Trump — who has promised to conduct the largest deportation operation in the country’s history, among numerous other hawkish immigration enforcement proposals — has also publicly expressed interest in revoking the TPS program upon his return to office. The former president attempted to end TPS for El Salvador in 2020, but those efforts were held up in court in the waning days of his first term.
First created by the federal government in 1990, TPS provides certain deportation protections and work eligibility to those who receive its designation, according to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). The administration may designate TPS for foreign nationals residing in the U.S. whose home countries are experiencing any number of situations that may make it dangerous for them to return, such as a natural disaster or military conflict.
The roughly 234,000 El Salvadoran beneficiaries of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) will be allowed to register for an 18-month extension, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced on Friday. The move marks the latest last-minute push to extend deportation protections to illegal migrants and other foreign nationals living in the U.S before President-elect Donald Trump resumes office and gets to work on his sweeping immigration enforcement agenda. (RELATED: NYC Shelled Out Millions In Taxpayer Funds For Deportation Defense Cases As Migrant Crisis Crippled City)
