A Controversial immigration program Which has been in place for decades has recently become a hot-button issue as it appears likely to be repealed or severely restricted by the incoming Trump administration, and Democrats are calling on President Biden to take steps to preserve it.
“Temporary Protected Status” is a program created in the 1990s that allows the government to identify unsafe countries for citizens to return to, granting citizens already in the United States work permits and protection from deportation if they are here illegally or if their legal status expires.
The Biden administration has designated or re-designated a number of countries for TPS, including Venezuela, Haiti, Afghanistan and others, allowing hundreds of thousands of citizens to remain in the United States as a result. There are currently 17 countries designated for TPS.
Migrants board a city bus to a reception center after traveling on a bus from Del Rio, Texas, to the Port Authority Bus Terminal in New York City on May 13, 2023. (Victor J. Blue)
The first Trump administration sought to end TPS for a number of countries, but got stuck in a years-long legal battle launched by left-wing civil rights groups over the issue.
TPS has once again become a major issue in 2024 as Republicans and conservatives draw attention to mass trans migration Humanitarian parole from Haiti. The migrants were coming by using the CBP One app and a program that allows up to 30,000 migrants from four countries a month to enter the United States, so they could be eligible for temporary protected status if they arrive before the country resets.
There have been widespread reports of Haitian migrants pouring into towns in Ohio and elsewhere, picked up by former President Trump and his running mate, Senator J.D. Vance of Ohio. Trump promised to repeal Haiti's TPS earlier this year.
“It has been overrun. You cannot do that to people. I will abolish (Temporary Protection System) and send (migrants) back to their countries,” he said. Newsnation When we talk about Springfield, Ohio.
Vance's description TPS as “a government decree that says you're not allowed to deport people anymore.” Conservatives have long complained that the continued extension of TPS means it is not as “temporary” as it claims.
President-elect Trump (Rebecca Noble/Getty Images/File)
Republicans have taken steps to restrict the program in Congress. Senator-elect Jim Banks, Republican of Indiana.He introduced a bill that would limit TPS designations by requiring Congress to approve them for 12 months and require additional actions by Congress to extend them. Trump has promised to launch a mass deportation operation, which is expected to be accompanied by restrictions on TPS and other immigration benefits.
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As that approaches, Democrats are urging Biden to expand protections under TPS and other programs to cushion the impact of the incoming administration.
“We are writing now because the window to secure and finalize your administration’s policies is rapidly closing,” Democrats led by Trump said. Senator Dick Durbin, Democrat of Illinois.Biden said in a letter this month.
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“We urge you to act decisively between now and the inauguration of the president-elect to complete the important work of the past four years and protect migrant families.”
However, so far, there has been no movement on TPS by the Biden administration nor any indication that any redesign or extension is imminent.
