The White House has recently issued an extension of the Temporary Protection Status (TPS) that has been accorded to some Venezuelans. This affects immigrants from that nation who are currently residing in New Jersey and the rest of the U.S. However, the order is only meant to apply to Venezuelans who have already been in the country since March of 2021.
Temporary status protection is now valid
President Biden has issued an extension of 18 months for the TPS that currently shelters some Venezuelans during their immigration process. The order as it now stands is set to run through March 2024. The decision came after the current level of protection came perilously close to expiring via a federal deadline less than a week ago.
Advocates for immigrants, as well as leaders of the Democratic party, have expressed their concern that the current extension doesn’t go far enough. They believe that the rights of Venezuelans in New Jersey and elsewhere deserve a more comprehensive package of benefits. They are also disappointed that the extension only extends to a mere 18 months.
Other immigration experts have noted that the current extension doesn’t seem to mesh well with existing family-based immigration guidelines. They note that the restriction of this extension to immigrants from Venezuela who have been in the U.S. for the past year leaves a lot of family members stranded in that nation. As of yet, no possible compromise to redress this particular situation has yet been broached.
Republicans have voiced concern over Venezuelan immigration
The decision by President Biden was welcomed by some members of the Democratic party while being criticized by others. At the same time, many high-level Republicans believe the extension is premature as well as too far-reaching. They worry that the extension may give further incentive to Venezuelans and others to illegally cross over the U.S. border.
The issue concerns some political experts who believe that the issue of immigration can be a hot potato during the upcoming midterm elections. However, President Biden shows no signs of rescinding or amending the extension.