The Biden administration has introduced deportation protections for about 1 million foreign nationals in the United States, including hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that more than 900,000 Temporary Protected Status (TPS) beneficiaries will be granted an 18-month extension to enroll. announced on friday. The major developments, just days before President Joe Biden leaves office and President-elect Donald Trump returns to power, include extending TPS for the roughly 600,000 Venezuelans living in the country. (Related article: New York City pours millions of taxpayer dollars into deportation defense lawsuits as immigration crisis cripples city)

This extension was announced by the US government on the same day. announced new sanctions against Venezuela’s socialist dictator Nicolas Maduro. The deportation protections also come in response to growing concerns about the existence of Torren de Aragua, an international criminal organization that originated in Venezuela and has since wreaked havoc on American society.

“The extension of TPS is due to extraordinary and temporary circumstances in which eligible Venezuelan nationals cannot safely return home,” DHS said. “After reviewing the situation in the country of Venezuela and consulting with interagency partners, and given the serious humanitarian emergency that the country continues to face due to the political and economic crisis under the inhumane Maduro regime, , it was determined that an 18-month extension of TPS was warranted.

“These conditions contribute to high levels of crime and violence, impacting access to food, medicine, health care, water, electricity, and fuel,” the DHS statement continued.

First established by the federal government in 1990, TPS provides certain deportation protections and work eligibility to designated individuals. According to United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). The White House can designate TPS to foreign nationals living in the United States whose home countries are experiencing situations that could jeopardize their return, such as ongoing military conflicts or natural disasters.

Following the defeat of Vice President Kamala Harris in November, several Democrats implored Mr. Biden to issue a new TPS extension before he leaves office, and Mr. He argued that this was a “critical period” between the inauguration of the government and the start of its crackdown. Illegal immigration. President-elect Donald Trump has expressed interest in reducing TPS benefits.

If the designation had not been extended, Venezuelans currently receiving TPS would have been obligated to leave the United States by April. The 18-month extension means they will be eligible to remain in the country until at least October 2026, according to DHS.

Venezuelans, who have experienced incredible political and economic instability since the Maduro regime came to power, have left their home country en masse over the past few years, with the United States being the destination of choice for many. . Members of Torren de Aragua to the United States have been confirmed.

An internal investigation concluded that the Torren de Aragua gang occupied an apartment complex in Aurora, Colorado in 2024 and used the area to intensify its criminal activities. In December, an Aurora couple was allegedly taken hostage by suspected gang members, dragged into one of their apartments and tortured.

Internal DHS documents say hundreds of immigrants in the U.S. may have gang ties.

“As part of our measures, [Tren de Aragua] “TdA, DHS has ongoing efforts to crack down on gang members through rigorous screening and testing at the border, as well as re-testing of certain previously encountered individuals,” a DHS spokesperson said. told the Daily Caller News Foundation when the report was leaked. “All individuals confirmed or suspected to be gang members will be criminally prosecuted or detained and placed on expedited removal.”

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