The Biden administration is granting hundreds of thousands of foreign nationals an extended stay before President-elect Donald Trump enters the White House.
On Friday, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said it is extending Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for the countries of El Salvador, Sudan, Ukraine and Venezuela for an additional 18 months after their current expirations.
TPS grants protection to nationals living in the United States from being deported if their country is deemed unsafe for them to be returned.
Venezuela's extension will apply to approximately 600,000 nationals; El Salvador's will apply to about 230,000; Ukraine's will apply to approximately 103,000; and Sudan will affect about 1,900 nationals. Venezuela's extension will run until October 2026 and El Salvador's will run until September 2026.
Only countries with current TPS are eligible for an extension. No new applications can be received.
President Joe Biden and DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas are fulfilling the wishes of many Senate Democrats who have called for the extension of deportation protections ahead of the incoming Trump administration, who has plans of mass deportations of illegal immigrants in the U.S. Trump has made Venezuelan nationals one of the top priorities, given the rise of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua across the U.S.