September 21, 2023

Responding to pressure from cities overwhelmed by a new surge of migrants, late Wednesday, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced a series of immigration initiatives, including the redesignation of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for 242,700 Venezuelans who were previously designated TPS beneficiaries. DHS also extended the TPS designation to Venezuelans who are not current TPS beneficiaries if they arrived in the U.S. on or before July 31, 2023. This is expected to shield from deportation and provide work permits for approximately 472,000 additional Venezuelans.

Furthermore, DHS announced through the release of a fact sheet new initiatives to reduce from 90 to 30 days the average time it takes to process employment authorization documents for migrants who entered the U.S. through the Biden Administration’s new U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) One App parole program and its special parole programs created this year for Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans. DHS is also expanding the Family Expedited Removal Management program nationwide so that immigrant families found anywhere in the U.S. (not just near the southern border) that do not have a lawful basis to remain in the United States can be placed in expedited removal that can occur within 30 days. Finally, the Administration also announced it is sending 800 new active-duty military personnel to the border to assist with logistics and allow CBP Agents to return to enforcement and inspection duties.

© 2024 Signatory Wall and Ceiling Contractors Alliance (SWACCA). All rights reserved.