The Biden administration announced Monday it would allow Venezuelans to apply for temporary legal status in the United States, a move designed to increase pressure on the Maduro government by providing protection to those that have fled the regime.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) notice allows some 300,000 Venezuelans currently living in the U.S. to apply for Temporary Protected Status (TPS), letting them stay in the U.S. for 18 months due to what a senior administration official called turmoil in Venezuela.
“The suffering and the ongoing turmoil the Venezuelan people have endured is well documented,” a senior official said on a call with reporters.
“This designation is due to the extraordinary and temporary conditions in Venezuela that prevent the nationals there, if you are here, from returning safely,” the official added.
The announcement was coupled with a pledge to provide “robust humanitarian assistance,” particularly to neighboring nations that have taken in some 5 million Venezuelans who have left the country.
In the early days after taking office, the Biden administration recognized opposition leader Juan Guaidó as the rightful president of Venezuela following what it deemed an illegitimate 2018 election process that left Nicolás Maduro in power.
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Biden to grant temporary legal status to thousands of Venezuelans in US https://t.co/AzJ5a2nxir pic.twitter.com/rax3GKYtiV
— The Hill (@thehill) March 8, 2021
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