Laila Kirkpatrick, Staff Writer
On Friday, the Biden administration extended temporary visas for approximately 230,000 Salvadorans and 600,000 Venezuelans living in the U.S. This move aimed to protect these migrant groups from the incoming Trump administration, which has expressed intentions to deport them.
The decision, made in the final 10 days of Joe Biden’s presidency, followed pressure from immigrant advocates and lawmakers urging the Department of Homeland Security to extend Temporary Protected Status (TPS). This status shields migrants from deportation to countries they fled for safety.
The announcement coincided with Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro being sworn in for a third term, despite widespread condemnation over alleged election fraud. The U.S. has placed a $65 million bounty on Maduro’s arrest, along with charges against two close allies for international drug trafficking.
Around one million immigrants are protected under TPS, including individuals from Venezuela, Haiti, Honduras, Nicaragua, Afghanistan, Sudan, and Lebanon. Donald Trump and J.D. Vance have stated plans to scale back TPS and implement stricter policies for granting temporary status.