DHS Expands Deportation Protections for Nationals from Four Countries
According to the Department of Homeland Security, those countries encompass Ukraine, Sudan, El Salvador, and Venezuela.
DHS announced on Friday that it would extend Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to nationals from these countries due to the inability of their governments to accept their return if they were deported by the United States.
This decision allows approximately 600,000 Venezuelans, over 230,000 Salvadorans, more than 103,000 Ukrainians, and 1,900 Sudanese individuals already residing in the United States to legally stay for an additional 18 months.
While the TPS designation enables these individuals to remain in the country, it does not offer a long-term avenue to citizenship. Their status renewal remains contingent on the government’s decisions when their current permissions expire. Critics argue that the automatic renewal of protection status often occurs without adequate consideration of conditions in the individual’s home country.
DHS disclosed that the extension for Venezuelan nationals is warranted due to “extraordinary and temporary conditions” hindering their safe return, amid a “severe humanitarian emergency” stemming from the political and economic crises under President Nicolas Maduro’s regime.
“These conditions have resulted in elevated crime and violence, compromising access to essentials such as food, medicine, healthcare, water, electricity, and fuel,” the agency stated.
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In the case of El Salvador, DHS indicated that “environmental disasters” have led to a temporary disruption in living conditions, and the TPS was granted due to “geological and weather events, including significant storms and heavy rainfall” in the past year and 2023, as well as an earthquake that occurred over 20 years ago.
Sudanese nationals participating in the TPS program will benefit from this extension because of “ongoing political instability that has resulted in human rights abuses” attributed to militia groups in recent years, as stated by the agency.
Ukrainian nationals received an extension of TPS due to the ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia, which began in February 2022.
Approximately 1 million individuals from 17 countries residing in the United States benefit from TPS, including nationals from Venezuela, Haiti, Honduras, Nicaragua, Afghanistan, Sudan, Ukraine, and Lebanon. Venezuelans represent one of the largest groups, with their extension lasting from April 2025 to October 2, 2026.
However, on January 20, some of these protections could potentially be rescinded when President-elect Donald Trump assumes office. Both Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance have stated intentions to diminish the program while advocating for mass deportations of undocumented immigrants and enhanced immigration enforcement measures.
During the 2024 campaign, one of Trump’s prominent pledges involved mass deportations and strengthening border security. He has appointed former acting Immigration and Customs Enforcement chief Tom Homan as his border czar, who has indicated in recent media discussions that the administration intends to swiftly initiate deportation efforts aimed at criminals and workplaces.
The DHS program faced scrutiny after Trump, during his solitary presidential debate with Vice President Kamala Harris in October 2024, referenced allegations of Haitians under TPS in Springfield, Ohio, consuming pets.
“Absolutely, I’d revoke it. And I’d bring them back to their country,“ Trump remarked during an interview with NewsNation. ”Springfield is such a beautiful place; have you seen what’s happened to it? It’s been overrun. You can’t do that to people. They have to be removed.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.