DHS Announces Extension of Temporary Protected Status for Venezuela

The Department of Homeland Security announced that it had extended Temporary Protected Status for the South American country Venezuela by 18 additional months.

Sec. Mayorkas stated when announcing the extension of the deportation amnesty:

As one of my first actions as Secretary, I designated Venezuela for TPS. After careful consideration, and in consultation with the Secretary of State, today I am extending that designation. This action is one of many ways the Biden administration is providing humanitarian support to Venezuelans at home and abroad, together with our regional partners. We will continue to work with our international partners to address the challenges of regional migration while ensuring our borders remain secure.

Temporary Protected Status is designated for foreign nationals already in the United States when conditions in their home country make returning too dangerous. DHS has three statutory bases that trigger the designation – ongoing armed conflict, environmental disasters, or extraordinary {text} conditions.

When designating the nation of Venezuela for TPS protections (March 2021), the Sec. of DHS stated that the South American country fell under extraordinary and temporary conditions – preventing Venezuelan nationals in the United States from returning home safely willfully or via deportation.

At the time of designation, Homeland Security estimated that 323,000 people were eligible to apply. Some of those are in the country under legal temporary visas, others arrived legally, but overstayed visas, and some just jumped the border illegally. However, all are eligible to apply.

According to a March 2021 Washington Times article, “a 2019 report by the Congressional Budget Office said at that time there were about 300,000 Venezuelans who lacked permanent legal status, and of those, about 200,000 were expected win TPS.”

DHS added the following technical information:

The 18-month extension of TPS for Venezuela will be effective from September 10, 2022, through March 10, 2024. Only beneficiaries under Venezuela’s existing designation, and who were already residing in the United States as of March 8, 2021, are eligible to re-register for TPS under this extension. Venezuelans who arrived in the United States after March 8, 2021, are not eligible for TPS. Approximately 343,000 individuals are estimated to be eligible for TPS under the existing designation of Venezuela.

You can read the full release here.