Biden Admin Redesignates Venezuela for ‘Temporary Protected Status,’ Half a Million More Could Gain Work Status

Some 242,000 Venezuelans already granted temporary protection will have their status extended, while another 472,000 may be eligible.

Illegal immigrants arrive at the Port Authority terminal in New York City on May 3, 2023. Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images

The Biden administration will allow nearly half a million Venezuelans already in the United States—including those who illegally entered the country—to file for Temporary Protected Status (TPS), which will allow them to temporarily work and be protected from deportations, the White House announced on Sept. 20.

Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas announced that the department is extending and redesignating its TPS program for Venezuelan nationals for 18 months due to “extraordinary and temporary conditions” in Venezuela that prevent individuals from safely returning.