Outgoing President Joe Biden’s administration announces term extension temporary protection status Granted to immigrants from countries that the United States determines are unsafe to return to.

Friday’s announcement involves individuals from four specific countries: El Salvador, Sudan, Venezuela and Ukraine.

Based on the continued threat of war, humanitarian crises and natural disasters, Temporary Protected Status (TPS) designations have been extended for 18 months.

But the extension only applies to individuals already protected by the program, failing to meet calls from immigration advocates to expand eligibility.

Still, the announcement may be seen as a farewell message to the incoming administration of Donald Trump, who has pledged crackdown on immigration when he takes office on January 20.

An estimated 1,900 Sudanese, 103,700 Ukrainians, 232,000 Salvadorans and 600,000 Venezuelans are eligible for the TPS extension.

However, they must re-enroll in the program to take advantage of the 18-month extension.

Trump has regarded the TPS program as his goal since his first term from 2017 to 2021.

Under the administration, the Department of Homeland Security announced it would phase out Temporary Protected Status for immigrants from countries including El Salvador, Haiti and Sudan.

In 2020, a federal court ultimately upheld Trump’s authority to end the program, raising concerns that legal immigrants in the country could eventually be deported.

When Biden succeeded Trump in 2021, he reversed course, increasing the population eligible for Temporary Protected Status and adding countries such as Venezuela and Afghanistan to the list.

human rights groups applaud These changes indicate an urgent need for conservation.

Still, groups like the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) have urged Biden to further protect immigrants fleeing human rights abuses, war and other disasters.

For example, Emi Maclean, staff attorney for the Northern California chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), argued in a 2022 statement that short-term extensions of TPS ultimately fail to provide long-term security for immigrants.

“Today, TPS holders still do not have permanent residency and all the civil rights and political equality to which they deserve,” McLean said.

“Most members of this community have been living in this country for decades.”

Others pointed out that Biden tighten Alternative legal immigration pathways, such as the right to apply for asylum. The Biden administration also has not expanded TPS protections to other urgently needed foreign nationals, including Palestinianleading to accusations of double standards.

In addition, Biden has continued several hard-line immigration policies inherited from Trump, including controversial immigration policies. Title 42 The measure allows the U.S. to quickly expel immigrants and asylum seekers at the southern border in the name of public safety.

The measure faces numerous court challenges for violating asylum laws. final title 42 Expired After the emergency declaration for the COVID-19 pandemic ends in May 2023.

Still, the Pew Research Center estimates that under Biden, almost 1.2 million A total of 21.6 million non-citizen immigrants in the United States are eligible for TPS.

However, immigration has become a hotly debated topic during the 2024 presidential campaign, with Trump proposing “mass deportations” if he is re-elected.

In October, when asked by NewsNation if he would revoke TPS status for Haitian immigrants, Trump responded with misinformation about the Springfield, Ohio, community where he had previously accused Haitians of eating household pets.

“You have to drive people away. We can’t destroy our country,” Trump told NewsNation.

“This doesn’t work.” This doesn’t work. It has nothing to do with Haiti or anything else. This doesn’t work. You have to deport these people, you have to take them back to their countries,” he added. “In my opinion, this is illegal. It is unlawful for anyone to do so. “

Trump, who ultimately won the 2024 race, has said he plans to advance an immigration crackdown within his first 100 days in office.

However, in a statement on Friday, the Biden administration emphasized the serious conditions under which TPS must be extended.

For example, the Department of Homeland Security said in its report that sending migrants back to Ukraine would expose them to the violence of Russia’s ongoing incursion, which “has resulted in significant civilian casualties and reports of war crimes.” statement.

In El Salvador it explainednatural disasters such as storms and earthquakes create dangerous living conditions. and in VenezuelaThe “political and economic crisis” under Nicolas Maduro’s “inhumane” government makes it unsafe to return.

And then there’s Sudan, where the U.S. defendant Earlier this week, paramilitary forces launched a genocidal campaign.

“Militias target civilians fleeing conflict, killing innocent people fleeing conflict and denying remaining civilians access to life-saving supplies,” the Department of Homeland Security said. wrote.

“These conditions currently prevent the safe return of Sudanese nationals and permanent residents.”