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FIRST ON FOX: Newly sworn-in Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, in his first letter as a member of the Senate, sent a blistering investigation into the Department of National Security demanding answers about the extension of protections against deportation for hundreds of thousands of foreign nationals from a large number of countries.
“I am writing to express my sincere concern regarding the extensions of the designations of El Salvador, Venezuela, Ukraine, and Sudan for Temporary Protected Status (“TPS”),” Moreno wrote in a letter to the secretary of DHS, Alejandro Mayorkas, on Friday. “These 18-month extensions allow these noncitizens to remain in the United States until the fall of 2026, when the designations were set to expire.”
“These decisions were shamefully made by an outgoing administration ten days before President Donald J. Trump was sworn into office. You might think that after handily losing the 2024 presidential election when voters overwhelmingly rejected the policy of open borders of the Biden-Harris Administration, that you would finally understand the mandate of American citizens And yet you continue to completely ignore the will of the majority of voters by deciding unilaterally allow nearly 1 million noncitizens who entered our country without original authorization to remain in the United States.”
DHS announced Friday that it will be extended Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for El Salvador, Venezuela, Sudan and Ukraine for an additional 18 months beyond their current maturities.
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Senator Bernie Moreno, left, and President Joe Biden, right (Getty)
TPS grants protection from deportation and work permits to nationals living in the United States from countries considered unsafe for return. DHS cited environmental disasters in El Salvador, including storms and heavy rains, which it said caused a “substantial, but temporary” disruption to living conditions. He also cited the political and economic crises in Venezuela, political instability in Sudan and Ukraine’s ongoing conflict with Russia.
In his letter to Secretary Mayorkas, Moreno criticized the government’s justification for the move.
“I am also deeply disgusted by your attempts to justify these decisions,” Moreno wrote. “For example, according to your Department, the extension of TPS status for 234,000 non-citizens is due to ‘geological and meteorological events’ in El Salvador. However, a quick review of the current weather in San Salvador, El Salvador shows it’s currently “mostly sunny” and 81 degrees Fahrenheit.”
U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas speaks during a Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee hearing on the department’s budget request on Capitol Hill April 18, 2024 (Getty Images)
The moves do not redesignate countries for status, meaning only those currently protected by TPS are eligible for an extension and no new applications can be received. The Venezuelan extension will apply to about 600,000 nationals; El Salvador will apply to 232,000; Ukraine’s will apply to approximately 103,000; and Sudan will affect about 1,900 nationals. Venezuela’s extension will run until October 2026, and El Salvador’s will run until September 2026, and both were expected to end in spring 2025.
The measures, particularly for El Salvador and Venezuela, could complicate the Trump administration’s efforts to deport illegal immigrants from those countries. Venezuelan nationals have been a particular focus, given the rise of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, while El Salvador is where the gang MS-13 originated.
Moreno’s letter asked Mayorkas to answer a series of questions, some of them related to concerns about MS-13.
“What is the current number of known MS-13 members in the United States?” Moreno asked. “What is the current number of known TdA members in the United States? How many of the non-citizens suspected of being associated with MS-13 and/or TdA have remained in this country through a TPS designation?”
The letter also asks for sources and data related to the “geological and meteorological events” cited by the government, as well as information about the vetting process for these people and answers about how the government ensures that these migrants do not commit crimes in the United States. states
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Fox News Digital reached out to DHS and the White House, but did not immediately hear back.
The first Trump administration moved to reduce the number of countries designated for TPS, but the Biden administration has used it extensively, designating or redesignating several countries, including Venezuela, Afghanistan and Haiti. There are currently 17 countries designated for TPS.
Both President-elect Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance have indicated they want to reduce TPS once in office, specifically for Haiti.
Adam Shaw of Fox News Digital contributed to this report
