The Biden administration granted hundreds of thousands of foreign nationals Temporary Protected Status (TPS), including about 600,000 Venezuelans.
“After reviewing the country conditions in Venezuela and consulting with interagency partners, it was determined that an 18-month TPS extension is warranted based on the severe humanitarian emergency the country continues to face due to political and economic crises under the inhumane Maduro regime,” the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said. “These conditions have contributed to high levels of crime and violence, impacting access to food, medicine, healthcare, water, electricity, and fuel. Such a determination meets the statutory obligation to decide, at least 60 days before the expiration of a TPS designation, whether the conditions for designation continue to be met and merit an extension.”
“The extension of TPS for Venezuelans runs from April 3, 2025, to October 2, 2026, and allows approximately 600,000 eligible current beneficiaries to retain TPS through October 2, 2026, if they re-register and continue to meet TPS eligibility requirements,” the announcement adds.
Individuals who are considered to be threats may be “detained, removed, or referred to other federal agencies for further investigation or prosecution as appropriated.”
The TPS extension comes as the Venezuelan-based Tren de Agua gang has been operating in the United States.
Jose Gonzalez Roa, a suspected member of the gang, was apprehended in California by Border Patrol agents. Despite previous deportations, the suspect managed to cross the U.S.-Mexico border multiple times.
The gang has also been on the rise in Colorado. Nineteen suspected members of the gang were arrested in December following a home invasion in Aurora, Colorado. The attack left two residents hospitalized.
