Temporary Protected Status (TPS) has become a major issue as the incoming Trump administration is likely to axe or severely limit the program. Established in the 1990s, TPS allows the government to designate countries as unsafe, granting nationals work permits and protection from deportation if they are in the U.S. illegally. The Biden administration recently designated or re-designated countries like Venezuela, Haiti, and Afghanistan for TPS, allowing hundreds of thousands of nationals to stay in the U.S.
With the first Trump administration seeking to wind down TPS for several countries, left-wing civil rights groups launched a yearslong court battle to preserve the program. In 2024, TPS became a major issue as Republicans and conservatives focused on mass migration through humanitarian parole from Haiti. Former President Trump and Sen. JD Vance of Ohio drew attention to the influx of Haitian migrants in places like Ohio. Trump promised to revoke TPS for Haiti, stating that the program has been overrun and is no longer temporary.
Republicans have introduced bills in Congress to restrict the TPS program. Sen.-elect Jim Banks of Indiana introduced a bill that requires Congress to approve TPS designations for 12-month terms and extend them. Trump has pledged to launch a mass deportation operation, which is expected to include restrictions on TPS and other immigration benefits. Democrats have been urging President Biden to extend protections under TPS and other programs to counter the impact of the incoming administration.
Despite Democrats urging Biden to extend protections under TPS, there has been no movement on the matter so far. Biden has not indicated any plans for redesignations or extensions of TPS, leaving the future of the program uncertain. Democrats, led by Sen. Dick Durbin, have emphasized the urgency of finalizing policies to protect immigrant families before the inauguration of President-elect Biden. However, with no action taken yet by the Biden administration, the fate of TPS remains up in the air.
In Ohio, there were reports of Haitian migrants flooding towns, leading to concerns raised by conservatives about the impact of mass migration. TPS was perceived as allowing continued extensions of deportation protections, contradicting its temporary nature. Trump and Vance criticized the program, with Trump vowing to revoke TPS for Haiti. The use of the CBP One app and a program allowing up to 30,000 migrants from four countries per month into the U.S. further fueled debates around TPS and immigration policy.
Overall, the future of the TPS program remains uncertain as the Biden administration has not taken any action on redesignations or extensions. Republicans have made moves in Congress to restrict the program, while Democrats are urging Biden to extend protections for immigrant families. With the program caught in political crossfires and facing potential restrictions under the incoming administration, the fate of TPS and the hundreds of thousands of nationals benefiting from it hangs in the balance.
