President Joe Biden’s Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has granted temporary amnesty to thousands of Burmese nationals currently living in the United States. They would otherwise be eligible for deportation.
Alejandro Mayorkas (DHS Secretary) announced Monday that the Biden administration would grant Temporary Protected status for 18 months to nearly 3,300 Burmese nationals living in the United States.
Mayorkas stated that Burmese nationals would be eligible to temporarily stay in the United States during conditions improvement and can safely return home. ”
TPS Extension allows nearly 1,000 Burmese beneficiaries to remain in the United States up until May 2024. The status could also be available to another 2,300 Burmese.
Mayorkas created TPS last year to serve Burmese citizens. This status was used last year by hundreds of thousands, including 343,000 Venezuelans.
TPS is a quasi amnesty foreign nationals can use. It was established under the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1990. It prohibits the deportation of people who come from countries that are suffering from famine, war, or natural disasters.
The Clinton administration made TPS a de facto program for amnesty. The program was renewed by the Clinton, Bush, and Obama administrations as well as Trump, Biden, for different countries.
As of 2021, more than 400,000 foreign nationals live in the United States.
