The Biden administration is issuing a flurry of extensions for temporary removal protection and work eligibility for immigrants in the US ahead of the Jan. 20 transition.
The Department of Homeland Security on Friday announced it was renewing Temporary Protected Status designations for El Salvador, Venezuela, Ukraine, and Sudan before they expire this year.
The moves comes as immigrant advocates have urged the administration to extend TPS designations—which have a maximum duration of 18 months—for a number of countries in light of President-elect
For immigrants in the US now, the extension means protections won’t be immediately eliminated with the change in administration. At least 60 days before a TPS designation expires, DHS must consult with other federal agencies to review whether conditions in a given country meet the threshold to continue protections.
Circumstances that would qualify include armed conflict, environmental disaster, and health emergencies like an epidemic that prevent safe return for immigrant populations. Eligible individuals must renew TPS benefits within a 60-day window starting with the Federal Register publication date.
El Salvador was first designated for TPS after two earthquakes in 2001 and protections have been continuously renewed since. DHS cited ongoing environmental conditions as well as major food insecurity in renewing the status, in a Federal Register notice released Friday. The agency identified armed conflict and humanitarian emergencies in separate announcements for the remaining countries.
- The extension for El Salvador will run from March 10, 2025, to September 9, 2026. About 232,000 current TPS recipients from the country will be eligible to renew those benefits. DHS will also automatically extend their work permits until March of 2026 to avoid any lapses in work authorization while benefits are processed.
- The extension for Venezuelans will go from from April 3, 2025 through October 2, 2026 and be available to 600,000 current recipients. Their work permits will be automatically extended until April of next year.
- Roughly 103,700 Ukrainians and 1,900 Sudanese nationals in the US will also be eligible to renew TPS benefits and will have work permits renewed automatically for one year.
The announcements were welcomed by FWD.us, which promotes immigration reform in the US. Todd Schulte, the group’s president, called TPS “a life-saving tool” for people who can’t safely return to their home countries and urged the administration to issue additional extensions for additional countries including Nicaragua.
(Updated with additional reporting throughout.)
To contact the reporter on this story:
To contact the editors responsible for this story: