The Biden administration has announced that it will be granting temporary legal status to hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans who are already in the United States, allowing them to work while they await final decisions on their asylum claims. This move comes as the administration faces increasing numbers of people fleeing Venezuela and other countries and arriving at the U.S.-Mexico border.
The Department of Homeland Security plans to grant Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to an estimated 472,000 Venezuelans who arrived in the country by July 31, 2023. This will make it easier for them to obtain work authorization in the U.S. Previously, there were approximately 242,700 Venezuelans who qualified for temporary status.
The expansion of TPS and the extension of 18 months for those who already have temporary status are due to Venezuela’s ongoing instability and lack of safety caused by humanitarian, security, political, and environmental conditions, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
In addition to this announcement, the Biden administration has also promised to expedite work authorizations for migrants who have arrived in the country since January. This will be done through a mobile app called CBP One, which allows appointments at land crossings with Mexico, or through parole granted to Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans who have financial sponsors and arrive at an airport. The aim is to provide them with work permits within 30 days, compared to the current process that takes around 90 days.
It is important to note that this promise of accelerated work permits does not apply to individuals who cross the border illegally and seek asylum. These individuals are required by law to wait six months before receiving work permits.
Democratic leaders, including mayors and governors, have been urging President Biden to find a way to allow newly arrived migrants to work legally so that they can support themselves. They have expressed concerns about the strain on their resources, particularly in cities like New York, where the government is required to provide housing for those in need. New York Governor Kathy Hochul expressed gratitude to the federal government for granting temporary protected status to Venezuelan asylum seekers and migrants.
To address the situation at the border, the Biden administration has deployed Department of Defense forces to support Homeland Security staff. The administration plans to increase the number of National Guard troops to help Customs and Border Protection, and new active-duty troops will be detailed to the border to assist with logistics and free up border officials to focus on their frontline responsibilities.
In addition, Homeland Security is taking steps such as scaling up the process to quickly remove families who have no basis to stay in the country, increasing holding capacity along the southern border, and increasing the number of people expelled from the country.
The Biden administration’s actions aim to address the needs of asylum-seekers while also acknowledging the concerns raised by Democratic leaders about the strain on resources in cities and states receiving large numbers of migrants. However, these measures have also sparked criticism from Republicans who argue that the president’s approach to immigration is too lenient.
