U.S. extends protected migrant status to mid-2024 for six nationalities

SAN SALVADOR, Nov 10 (Reuters) - The United States has extended a protected status program that prevents migrants from being deported to mid-2024 for citizens of six countries, including Haiti and three Central American nations, its immigration service said on Thursday. The Temporary Protected Status (TPS) will be extended to June 30, 2024, for citizens of Haiti, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Sudan, Honduras, and Nepal, according to a document filed by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Advertisement · Scroll to continue Report an ad ADVERTISING The action means their status will no longer expire at the end of the year. article-prompt-devices Register for free to Reuters and know the full story The TPS program provides recipients work permits and can protect them from deportation if their home countries go through extraordinary events such as natural disaster or armed conflict. The extension will affect about 392,000 people, of whom some 242,000 are citizens of El Salvador, according to USCIS data. Latest Updates Brazil's Lula says Bolsonaro push for military audit of voting machines 'deplorable' Bolivia census protests hit turbulent three-week milestone, strike continues Cuba agrees to accept U.S. deportation flights as border crossings rise Chile's Boric slams 'terrorist' violence in rural south in rhetorical shift Shooting in gang-plagued Mexican state leaves 9 dead "Thanks be to God," said Salvadoran Ambassador to the United States Milena Mayorga, tweeting a link to the document. The extension gives Hondurans in the program "peace of mind for another 18 months," Honduran Foreign Minister Eduardo Reina said at a news conference. Advertisement · Scroll to continue Report an ad The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced the extension "to ensure its continued compliance" with orders proceeding from two ongoing court cases, said the document, which was sent to the federal register and is set to be officially published on Nov. 16. President Joe Biden's administration in October pulled out of settlement talks that could have provided further protections to the TPS enrollees from those countries, and put them at risk of losing their status, according to plaintiffs in one of the cases. The DHS said in a statement the decision Thursday was "consistent with DHS's practice over the last four years." The extension "is a huge relief" for those enrolled in the program, said U.S. Senator Alex Padilla, a Democrat who chairs a Judiciary subcommittee on immigration. Padilla called the move "a step in the right direction" but said more permanent protections were needed.