The Department of Homeland Security announced that the Temporary Protected Status, which permits thousands of individuals from Venezuela, El Salvador, Ukraine, and Sudan to lawfully remain in the United States, has been extended for an additional 18 months.
The most recent extension from Joe Biden’s administration comes just months before the protections afforded to thousands of TPS holders are about to expire, and as the incoming Donald Trump government has promised to deport millions of immigrants.
The time for renewal begins on March 10, 2025, and concludes on September 9, 2026. It is applicable to people who have already met the requirements for Temporary Protected Status, or TPS, and who will re-register in order to continue to be shielded from deportation for the ensuing 18 months.
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According to the Migration Policy Institute, there were an estimated 27,000 TPS residents in the Houston area as of 2019, the bulk of them were Hondurans and Salvadorans.
Under this renewal, individuals from these nations who applied for protection for the first time under prior TPS designations may be given protection through 2026.
Venezuelan nationals must have lived in the United States continuously on or before July 31, 2023, in order to be eligible for TPS under this category. TPS will not be available to those who arrived after this date. Citizens of Sudan and Ukraine must have lived in the United States since at least August 16, 2023.
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DHS assessed each TPS-administered nation’s circumstances.
“An 18-month TPS extension is warranted based on the severe humanitarian emergency the country continues to face due to political and economic crises under the inhumane Maduro regime,” a DHS news release issued Friday states, following an evaluation of the country’s conditions and consultation with interagency partners.
Nearly 1 million TPS recipients who reside in the United States may be impacted by the renewal; over half of them, or an estimated 600,000 people, are from Venezuela, and over 230,000 are from El Salvador.
According to Jorge M. Rquez, head of the non-governmental organization Venezuelan American Center, thousands of Houston residents are waiting for orders to begin filing for renewals of their protection status, which is set to expire at the beginning of April.
According to Mrquez, this has a significant influence on the lives of many of our residents. Since their TPS does not automatically renew, these persons now have the responsibility to submit their renewals in order to preserve their protection and lawful employment status.
According to the news release, DHS officials stated that both new applicants and those renewing go through a stringent screening process. Participants are prohibited from the program if they have been convicted of two misdemeanors or a felony.
According to the DHS announcement, if accepted, the present application will automatically provide TPS through September 9, 2026, thus initial applicants and current recipients with outstanding petitions do not need to resubmit these.
According to the news release, officials acknowledge that not all applicants will obtain their new Employment Authorization Document before their existing one expires, but more details will be provided.
According to the news release, the eligibility requirements, deadlines, and steps required for current beneficiaries to re-register and renew their EADs will be included in a notice that will shortly be published in the Federal Register.
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