The United States will allow hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans to seek asylum, U.S. officials said today. Biden‘s immigration policy since taking office has been markedly different from that of his predecessor, the Trump administration.
AFP reports that officials said the U.S. will provide Temporary Protection Status (TPS) to Venezuelans fleeing political repression and economic collapse. Venezuela, located in South America, was once quite wealthy.
A senior Biden Administration official, who asked to remain anonymous, told reporters that more than 300,000 people are estimated to be eligible.
The Venezuelans being considered are currently in the United States and will now be able to avoid deportation and be allowed to stay until September 2022.
U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said, “The living conditions in Venezuela are indicative of a country that is in chaos and unable to protect its people.”
“In extraordinary and temporary circumstances such as these, the United States stands up to support eligible Venezuelans who have entered the United States. At the same Time, their country is seeking to emerge from the current crisis.”
Even though Trump supported the overthrow of far-left leader Nicolas Maduro, he has taken a hard-line approach to immigrants and refugees, refusing to offer protected status to the Venezuelan people.
When Biden took office in January, he immediately announced that he would roll back Trump’s border policy.
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