WASHINGTON, D.C. –  Todd Schulte, President of FWD.us, issued the following statement after the Biden administration announced its decision to extend Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Venezuela, Sudan, El Salvador, and Ukraine:

“The Biden administration’s decision to extend these TPS designations is welcome news and underscores the program’s critical role as a life-saving tool for people who cannot safely return to countries facing armed conflict, natural disasters, or extraordinary instability. It will ensure hundreds of thousands of individuals can continue to be protected so they can live safely in the U.S., contributing to their communities, supporting their families, and strengthening the economy.

“As the administration nears the end of its term, we strongly urge President Biden to fulfill his foreign policy commitments and redesignate TPS for countries like Nicaragua, where conditions clearly meet the program’s statutory requirements. This is especially urgent for individuals who entered under the Biden administration’s own CHNV parole program and face losing deportation protections in the coming weeks.

“Similarly, the President has a historic opportunity to further advance fairness and equity by extending his clemency actions to commute federal sentences and bring people in prison home — especially those serving disproportionately long and racially disparate sentences that would be shorter under today’s laws and policies.

“There is still time to take bold action to bring more fairness to our immigration and criminal justice systems through vital relief to families, communities, and individuals.”