Move FM Global News

WASHINGTON D.C.: The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has said the government will extend deportation relief and work permits through 2025 for more than 300,000 immigrants from El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua and Nepal, but will not cover additional groups of migrants.

The move by the Biden administration maintains the status quo and stops short of a broader expansion of the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) program supported by some Democrats and immigrant advocates.

Former Republican President Donald Trump, who is seeking his party’s nomination in 2024, sought to end TPS for the four countries and others during his tenure, but US courts rebuffed his efforts.

As part of the process of extending the relief for immigrants from El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua and Nepal, Biden’s Democratic administration is rescinding Trump’s earlier decisions.

Migrants who cannot return to their home countries due to natural disasters, armed conflict or other extraordinary measures can remain in the US and obtain work permits under TPS.

In a statement, DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said the extensions would offer “continued safety and protection” to people from those countries already eligible for the program.

However, since they arrived after the cutoff dates, hundred of thousands of immigrants from El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua living in the US illegally will not be covered by the TPS extension.