As border crossings surge at the U.S.-Mexico border, the Biden administration is actively responding to alleviate pressure on already strained cities.
The administration announced the implementation of Temporary Protected Status, best known as TPS, for approximately half a million Venezuelan migrants.
This status grants legal permission for 472,000 Venezuelan migrants who entered the U.S. before July 31 to reside and seek employment in the country while awaiting the resolution of their asylum cases in court, a process that typically spans one to two years.
The goal is to expedite work authorization, enabling the migrants to support themselves financially and file taxes, thereby easing the burden on both states and the federal government in terms of providing food and shelter.
Over 8,000 apprehensions in a day as US-Mexico border crossings surge
Border crossings are on the rise again, and officials say that a considerable portion of these crossings involve families.
In New York City, things have reached a boiling point. This week in Staten Island, protesters blocked a city bus, suspecting it carried migrants, leading to the police arresting 10 individuals.
In the past year, the City Council reports that approximately 60,000 out of the 470,000 Venezuelans being granted TPS have made their way to New York.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul stated that she had a meeting with President Joe Biden to emphasize the need for increased federal assistance from the White House.
The announcement comes as the White House continues to grapple with the growing numbers of people fleeing Venezuela and other South American countries.
Arrests at the southern border have been on the rise since the beginning of September, following a decrease in mid-summer due to the removal of the controversial Title 42 rule, and policies toughened for those seeking asylum at the U.S.-Mexico border but made it easier to seek legal entry from their home countries.
In response to the uptick in attempted unlawful border crossings, the Department of Homeland Security is deploying an extra 800 active-duty personnel to the border.
These individuals will join the existing force, which includes 2,500 state National Guard personnel, 24,000 Customs and Border Protection agents, 500 law enforcement officers and almost 3,000 non-uniformed officers.
