Hundreds of thousands of individuals will be able to "rest a little easier" as a result of the Biden administration's decision to provide temporary deportation relief to the nationals of six nations, according to human rights advocates.
.According to a document filed by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), the U.S. announced on Thursday, Nov. 10, that people of Haiti, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Honduras, Sudan, and Nepal will have their Temporary Protected Status (TPS) extended until June 30, 2024, Al Jazeera reported.
Their legal status in the U.S. was set to expire at the end of the year.
When situations are temporarily too unsafe for residents to return, such as during an armed conflict or following natural catastrophes like earthquakes and hurricanes, Washington provides TPS to citizens of such nations.
TPS recipients are given work permits and are allowed to stay in the U.S. without worrying about being expelled.
According to USCIS data, the extension will affect nearly 392,000 persons, 242,000 of whom are El Salvadoran nationals.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced the extension “to ensure its continued compliance” with orders proceeding from two continuing court cases, said the document (PDF), which was sent to the federal register and is set to be officially published on November 16.
According to plaintiffs in one of the cases, President Joe Biden's administration withdrew from settlement negotiations last month, which could have given TPS enrollees from those nations additional protections and reduced their danger of losing their status.
More than 300,000 residents of the six nations, according to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), were in danger of losing their legal status in the U.S. after former President Donald Trump's administration attempted to revoke their TPS in 2017 and 2018.
Migration and human rights advocates welcomed the extension.
Emi Maclean, a senior staff lawyer at the ACLU Foundation of Northern California, said the fight would continue to get TPS holders permanent status in the U.S.
“Most members of this community have lived in this country for decades. They deserve lawful permanent residence, not a life lived in 18-month increments. TPS holders, the TPS Alliance, and their allies will not cease until that demand has been met,” Maclean said.
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