WASHINGTON: The United States has extended the validity of work permits for hundreds of thousands of migrants from seven countries who are protected under the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) programme.
According to international media reports, the administration of President Donald Trump announced the extension just hours before the existing permits were due to expire.
The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) said work permits for Haitian nationals with TPS will now remain valid until July 24, while permits for eligible migrants from Ethiopia, Syria, Somalia, Yemen, South Sudan and Myanmar will expire a week later.
The move follows a US Supreme Court ruling last month allowing the Trump administration to end Temporary Protected Status for nationals of Haiti and Syria.
Temporary Protected Status enables eligible foreign nationals already residing in the United States to live and work legally if conditions such as armed conflict, natural disasters or other extraordinary circumstances make it unsafe to return to their home countries.
Labour groups had urged the administration to extend the permits, warning that allowing them to expire could disrupt workplaces and affect key industries that rely on migrant workers.
The decision comes amid the Trump administration’s broader immigration enforcement campaign, which has drawn criticism from human rights organisations.
Critics argue that the administration’s policies have made both illegal and legal immigration more restrictive and have raised concerns over due process and civil liberties.
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