SILVER SPRING, Maryland — The Biden administration announced a new designation of Temporary Protected Status, or TPS, for Venezuela on March 8. This is the first new country to receive this life-saving protection in six years. According to the Department of Homeland Security, approximately 323,000 Venezuelans in the United States will be able to apply for protection from deportation and work authorization.

“Venezuela is experiencing one of the largest humanitarian crises in the world, with a collapsed economy and severe shortages of food, medicine, medical supplies and fuel, all compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Anna Gallagher, executive director of the Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc. “We are grateful that TPS, a vital humanitarian protection, will be used to safeguard Venezuelans in the United States.”

CLINIC acknowledges and celebrates the steadfast work of Venezuelans in the United States in securing this key protection. TPS has been especially critical for Venezuela, given the low asylum grants for the population under the Trump administration, as CLINIC described in a 2020 report. As a blanket protection, TPS fills in the gaps, protecting people who slip through the asylum system and providing much needed relief.

“By designating TPS for Venezuela, the Biden administration is using its executive authority as it should, protecting vulnerable populations in need right now,” said Lisa Parisio, CLINIC’s advocacy attorney for policy. “It is a major moment to have a new TPS designation. TPS is a critical but underused authority that should be applied boldly and broadly, as a pillar of humanitarian immigration policy.”