The Biden administration is granting temporary protection for hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans living in the United States, including many on the island, who fled the economic crisis in their home country.
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An estimated 349,000 Venezuelans live in this country, according to a 2018 report by the Migration Policy Institute, a nonpartisan organization that conducts research on migration. More than half of Venezuelan nationals make their homes in Florida.
The report said the top four counties by concentration for Venezuelans in the United States between 2014 and 2018 were Florida’s Miami-Dade, Broward, and Orange counties and Harris County, Texas.
Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas designated Venezuela for Temporary Protected Status, or TPS, until September 2022, which will enable Venezuelan nationals, and those whose last residence was in that country, to file for an application and be shielded from deportation.
The status is a form of humanitarian relief for individuals when the United States deems a country too dangerous for people to return.
“The living conditions in Venezuela reveal a country in turmoil, unable to protect its own citizens,” Mayorkas said in a written statement.
“It is in times of extraordinary and temporary circumstances like these that the United States steps forward to support eligible Venezuelan nationals already present here, while their home country seeks to right itself out of the current crises.”
Venezuelan nationals who are in the United States must apply for TPS during a 180-day registration period, while also meeting eligibility requirements. The status will also allow those in the program to receive work permits.
On President Donald Trump’s last day in office, he signed an executive order to prevent Venezuelans from deportation through the Deferred Enforced Departure program, but many were left in limbo as the Biden administration decided to not open applications for that program.
In Venezuela, the economy has collapsed, leading to a shortage of medicine and food, and the government is embroiled in a political crisis.
Miami’s Sen. Marco Rubio said in a written statement that this designation will provide temporary relief to those fleeing.
“Venezuela remains a nation in crisis,” he said. “I am glad the Biden administration shares that commitment, and I support granting TPS status to eligible Venezuelan nationals currently in the U.S.”