Biden administration to protect hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans
NEW YORK CITY - The Biden administration is extending and redesignating Venezuela for Temporary Protected Status, or TPS.
The move will have profound impacts in New York City and could alleviate some of the pressure brought on by the migrant crisis.
It means hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans already living in the United States, who arrived before July 31, can live and work in the country legally if they register within 18 months.
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Under pressure over border, Biden administration to protect hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans
Under intense political pressure from fellow Democrats, the Biden administration has announced it is granting protection to hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans who are already in the country.
Gov. Kathy Hochul, who spoke with several news outlets Wednesday night, said the redesignation is a direct result of talks this week with President Joe Biden.
"This is something that the president knows we have been asking for back from July of 2022," Hochul told NY1 over the phone.
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About 472,000 Venezuelans have come into the country before the July 31 deadline, or nearly half a million asylum seekers.
According to the New York Immigration Coalition, the extended protections will apply to 60,000 Venezuelans across the state.
More than 40% of migrants who have come through the city, so far, are Venezuelan.
People with TPS can be authorized to work in the U.S. 30 days after filing their application, while those who do not must wait six months.
The White House faced mounting pressure from Hochul, Mayor Eric Adams and Congressional leaders to help manage the crisis.
Adams released a statement, reading, in part: "I want to thank President Biden for hearing our entire coalition, including our hard-working Congressional delegation, and taking this important step that will bring hope to the thousands of Venezuelan asylum seekers currently in our care who will now be immediately eligible for TPS."
The Department of Homeland Security announced it would surge 800 active-duty troops to the border, on top of 2,400 members of the National Guard.
The program will focus on migrants crossing the border as a family, a move that may deter women and children.