DHS to offer work permits, deportation protection to over 470,000 Venezuelans amid new border surge

The Biden administration on Wednesday announced that it will be offering hundreds of thousands of Venezuelan migrants already in the U.S. – including those in the country illegally – work permits and protections from deportations, just as numbers are skyrocketing at the southern border.

Officials announced a move to redesignate Venezuela for Temporary Protected Status, which allows migrants to apply for deportation protections and work permits if they have arrived for a certain date.

The latest extension will see TPS extended for 18 months and applies to nationals who were in the country on or before July 31. Venezuela was last extended, but not re-designated, for TPS in 2022, meaning it was not open to new applicants. This redesignation will open it up to new applicants, and officials told reporters they estimate it will protect around 472,000 foreign nationals.