Marilyn Miranda, 12, of Washington raises her hand up throughout a protest for an extension of the Temporary Protected Status in September 2022 in Washington, D.C.

Jacquelyn Martin/AP

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Jacquelyn Martin/AP

Marilyn Miranda, 12, of Washington raises her hand up throughout a protest for an extension of the Temporary Protected Status in September 2022 in Washington, D.C.

Jacquelyn Martin/AP

The Biden administration stated Wednesday evening that it’s going to grant work permits and non permanent aid from deportation to just about half one million Venezuelans who’re already within the U.S.

The announcement follows calls from Democrats to assist newly arrived migrants work legally.

Venezuelans who had been within the U.S. as of July 31 can join Temporary Protected Status, or TPS. Homeland Security officers estimate that about 242,700 Venezuelans are at the moment coated by TPS and that roughly 472,000 extra individuals will now be eligible for work permits.

“After reviewing the country conditions in Venezuela and consulting with interagency partners, Secretary Mayorkas determined that an 18-month TPS extension and redesignation are warranted based on Venezuela’s increased instability and lack of safety due to the enduring humanitarian, security, political, and environmental conditions,” the Department of Homeland Security stated in a press release.

Prominent Democrats, together with New York City Mayor Eric Adams, have been calling on the Biden administration to increase work entry for newly arrived migrants who’re straining native assets. But the administration had been reluctant. Millions of individuals have left Venezuela in recent times, fleeing from financial and political turmoil. Republicans and immigration hardliners warn that increasing TPS will encourage extra migration.

Temporary Protected Status isn’t a pathway to everlasting residency. But critics say this system has allowed lots of of hundreds of individuals to remain within the U.S. indefinitely whereas their standing is prolonged.

Earlier this month, Adams declared the asylum-seekers disaster would “destroy New York City.” Last evening, he responded to the announcement by thanking the White House for “taking this important step that will bring hope to the thousands of Venezuelan asylum seekers currently in our care who will now be immediately eligible for Temporary Protected Status.”

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul launched the same assertion, saying, “There’s more work to do as we address this crisis, but the State of New York is prepared to immediately begin the process of signing people up for work authorization and getting them into jobs so they can become self-sufficient.”