Biden administration to offer temporary protection to nearly half-million Venezuelans

(MSN) – The Biden administration is granting temporary legal status to 472,000 Venezuelan migrants who are already in the U.S., a major step toward aiding asylum-seekers as the number of migrants at the southern border is on the rise again.

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas – citing political instability in Venezuela preventing the safe return of migrants – extended the temporary legal status designation by 18 months for Venezuelan migrants who arrived in the U.S. this year prior to July 31.

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The move Wednesday was applauded by Democrats who have pushed the White House to do more to help migrants seeking asylum and blasted by congressional Republicans from Texas who accused the Biden administration of further enflaming unrest at the border.

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