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The Biden administration said Monday it would offer temporary legal status to Venezuelans who entered the United States illegally after fleeing the country’s economic crisis, a designation that could affect hundreds of thousands of people.
Under the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) designation, eligible Venezuelan nationals can apply to remain in the country legally for a period of 18 months ending in September 2022. The White House cited “extraordinary and temporary conditions to the country. Venezuela ”, including a hunger crisis, societal repression, poor infrastructure and an increase in the number of non-governmental armed groups, as catalysts for action.
“Living conditions in Venezuela reveal a country in turmoil, unable to protect its own citizens,” Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said in a statement. “It is during times of extraordinary and temporary circumstances like these that the United States is stepping forward to support eligible Venezuelan nationals already present here, as their home countries seek to emerge from the current crises.”
Former President Donald Trump has imposed severe sanctions on the Nicolas Maduro regime, but has resisted bipartisan calls to grant Venezuelans a TPS designation during his tenure. In January, Trump adopted the delayed forced departure program to protect some Venezuelan nationals from deportation for an 18-month period.
According to Biden administration policy, around 320,000 people could apply to legally live in the United States during the 18-month period, The Associated Press reported, citing a senior official. In 2019, the Congressional Budget Office estimated that a TPS order would apply to around 200,000 Venezuelans.
The White House and the Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to a request for clarification of the exact figure.
Venezuela’s economy collapsed under Maduro’s rule, leading to widespread shortages of food and medicine in recent years.
The United States was one of dozens of countries that recognized opposition leader Juan Guaido as the legitimate president of Venezuela and called on Maduro to step down over contested election results. The Trump administration has decreed sweeping sanctions against senior Maduro regime officials, as well as the country’s oil industry.
Potential applicants must prove their continued residence in the United States as of March 8, 2021 to be eligible, according to the Department of Homeland Security. Venezuelans who apply to the program during a 180-day registration period will undergo security and background checks.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer welcomed the move, noting that it “demonstrates our nation’s commitment to support the protection of Venezuelans fleeing a corrupt regime.”
“The plight of the Venezuelan people is a challenge to the conscience of the world and I congratulate Secretary Mayorkas and President Biden for their work in combating the humanitarian catastrophe in the region,” said Schumer.
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Florida Republican Senators Marco Rubio and Rick Scott were among the top GOP officials who backed a TPS designation. Venezuela is one of the 10 countries with temporary protection status.
“I have long advocated providing much-needed relief to help eligible Venezuelan nationals residing in the United States with a work permit and a temporary solution, which is exactly what the Trump administration did earlier this year,” he said. Rubio said in a statement. “I am pleased that the Biden administration shares this commitment and I support the granting of TPS status to eligible Venezuelan nationals currently in the United States.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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