WASHINGTON, United States, (CMC) — The United States (US) Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced Friday that approximately 600,000 Venezuelans residing in the US will be allowed to stay legally for another 18 months.

The latest extension of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) — which was also given to Salvadorans, Ukrainians and Sudanese — came on the same day Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro began his third six-year term.

Homeland security cited the Spanish-speaking Caribbean nation’s ongoing political and economic crises under Maduro’s regime as the basis for its decision. It described the situation in Caracas as a “severe humanitarian emergency”.

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The beneficiary Venezuelans, who arrived in the US on or before July 31, 2023, can re-enroll to retain their status through October 2, 2026.

TPS shields immigrants who either entered the US without authorisation or overstayed visas. It grants individuals the legal right to stay in the country but it does not create a permanent pathway to citizenship and individuals covered under the programme depend on periodic government renewals to maintain their legal status.

President Joe Biden’s administration has strongly championed TPS which has been expanded to include nearly one million people under his leadership.

President-elect Donald Trump, who takes office on January 20, has promised hardline immigration policies and threatened to end the programme, which would mean participants would have to go back to their respective countries.

While federal regulations permit the early termination of TPS extensions, that has never happened before.