Biden rescinds Trump policy, extends protection for 300K immigrants.

Over 300,000 Illegal Immigrants Safe from Deportation for Another 18 Months

Good news for more than 300,000 people who entered the U.S. illegally from El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Nepal! They can remain in the U.S. under a Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for another 18 months after the Biden administration rescinded a Trump-era immigration policy on Tuesday. This policy reversal was announced by Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, citing “environmental disasters” as the reason for allowing these specific foreigners to remain in the U.S.

“Through the extension of Temporary Protected Status, we are able to offer continued safety and protection to current beneficiaries who are nationals of El Salvador, Honduras, Nepal, and Nicaragua who are already present in the United States and cannot return because of the impacts of environmental disasters,” Mayorkas said.

It’s important to note that TPS only allows foreign nationals to live and work in the U.S. and doesn’t give them a pathway to permanent residency or citizenship. The Supreme Court ruled unanimously in June 2021 that those in the TPS program are ineligible to apply for a green card.

What’s Next for Eligible Immigrants?

Those eligible to remain in the country under Biden’s renewed TPS policy will have to re-register with the federal government, the DHS said. Around 239,000 beneficiaries from El Salvador can have their stays extended from September 10, 2023, to March 9, 2025, and about 76,000 Honduran nationals and 4,000 Nicaraguans can now stay in the U.S. until July 5, 2025. More than 14,000 beneficiaries from Nepal can have their TPS extended from December 25, 2023, to June 24, 2025, according to The Hill.

Immigration Remains a Hot Topic

The Biden administration’s decision comes as illegal immigration remains a hot topic nationwide. Some top administration officials opposed expanding TPS eligibility to additional foreigners because of their concerns of encouraging more people to unlawfully cross the southern border as Biden faces an illegal immigration crisis, sources familiar with the deliberations told CBS News.

Recorded Gotaways

An estimated 1.5 million illegal immigrants gotaways have been recorded since President Joe Biden took office in 2021. Meanwhile, 415,000 total gotaways were reported for 2018, 2019, and 2020 under the Trump administration.