U.S. to extend temporary legal status for over 300,000 immigrants that Trump sought to end

BY CAMILO MONTOYA-GALVEZ

UPDATED ON: JUNE 12, 2023 / 11:31 PM / CBS NEWS

Washington — The U.S. government on Tuesday is planning to extend the temporary legal status of more than 300,000 immigrants whose deportation protections and work permits were targeted by the Trump administration, two current and former U.S. officials tell CBS News.

The Biden administration will allow roughly 337,000 immigrants from El Salvador, Honduras, Nepal and Nicaragua to continue living and working in the U.S. legally under the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) program, the sources said, requesting anonymity to describe the action before its formal announcement.

The 1990 law authorizing the TPS policy, which the Biden administration has used at an unprecedented scale, allows federal officials to grant deportation relief and work authorization to migrants from countries beset by war, environmental disaster or another "extraordinary" crisis.

As part of its broader crackdown on illegal and legal immigration, the Trump administration tried to end most TPS programs, including those for El Salvador, Honduras, Nepal and Nicaragua, arguing that prior administrations had abused the authority. But those attempts were blocked in federal court.

The Biden administration's move will reverse the decision to end TPS for these four countries and grant a temporary reprieve to those currently enrolled in the program. It will also likely moot a federal court lawsuit filed by advocates who challenged the Trump-era TPS terminations. A hearing in that case is scheduled for later this month.

More:
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/temporary-protected-status-extension-el-salvador-honduras-nepal-nicaragua/