The Biden administration on Wednesday said it is extending Temporary Protected Status to nearly half a million illegal immigrants from Venezuela, allowing them to live and work in the U.S. legally.
According to a statement from the Department of Homeland Security, about 242,700 Venezuelan nationals are beneficiaries under the existing designation, which applies to those who arrived in the U.S. by March of 2021. The latest decision, however, extends eligibility to 472,000 Venezuelan nationals who arrived in the U.S. by July 31, 2023.
Taken together, there are now more Venezuelan nationals eligible to temporarily live and work in the U.S. than there are residents in Wyoming.
"Temporary protected status provides individuals already present in the United States with protection from removal when the conditions in their home country prevent their safe return," Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said in a statement. "That is the situation that Venezuelans who arrived here on or before July 31 of this year find themselves in. We are accordingly granting them the protection that the law provides. However, it is critical that Venezuelans understand that those who have arrived here after July 31, 2023 are not eligible for such protection, and instead will be removed when they are found to not have a legal basis to stay."
The decision comes after pressure from Democrat leaders who say the massive influx of illegal immigrants has taken an unsustainable toll on city and state resources. Among the most vocal is New York City Mayor Eric Adams, who celebrated the move.
"Our administration and our partners across the city have led the calls to 'Let Them Work,' so I want to thank President Biden for hearing our entire coalition, including our hard-working congressional delegation, and taking this important step that will bring hope to the thousands of Venezuelan asylum seekers currently in our care who will now be immediately eligible for Temporary Protected Status," he said on Wednesday.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul was also "grateful" for the decision.
“After my productive conversation with President Biden last night, I’m grateful the federal government has acted so speedily to grant one of our top priorities: providing Temporary Protected Status to Venezuelan asylum seekers and migrants who have already arrived in this country,” she said in a statement. “There’s more work to do as we address this crisis, but the state of New York is prepared to immediately begin the process of signing people up for work authorization and getting them into jobs so they can become self-sufficient.”
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