Source: Fox News
Summary
A newly-uncovered Biden White House memo from the administration’s final days revealed plans to expand Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to over 3 million noncitizens. The memo acknowledged that previous court challenges had blocked many of President Donald Trump’s efforts to end the protections. The plan would have protected vulnerable people from Trump’s planned mass deportations. Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo, obtained the memo and said it showed Biden’s attempt to turn TPS into a “3.1-million-person deportation shield.”
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As expected, the matter has reached another stage.
The Biden administration’s plans to expand TPS were never fully implemented, but the memo offers a glimpse into the immigration options presented as Trump prepared to return to the White House promising mass deportations. The memo estimated potential new TPS eligibility for roughly 1.5 million Guatemalans, 600,000 Ecuadorians, and smaller populations from other countries. The plans were met with criticism from Sen. Schmitt, who said it would have been a “get-rich-quick scheme for the third world.” The memo also noted that Trump had said during the 2024 campaign he intended to revoke TPS protections for Haitians. One week after the memo, Biden extended TPS protections for nearly 1 million noncitizens.
The process has become a familiar dance between administrations, with each side taking steps to either expand or revoke TPS protections, and the courts often intervening to block or uphold these actions.
