Attorney General Bonta Urges Biden Administration to Extend Temporary Protected Status for Immigrants from Certain Countries with Dangerous Conditions

OAKLAND – California Attorney General Rob Bonta, along with 14 attorneys general, urged the Biden Administration to extend the temporary protected status (TPS) designation for all 17 countries currently designated – or at minimum extend it for the seven countries for which the designation ends within six months. In the letter, the attorneys general also request that the Biden Administration designate the countries of Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Libya, and Mali for TPS due to extremely dangerous conditions in these countries. TPS allows undocumented individuals living in the United States to remain here temporarily due to dangerous conditions in their home countries. TPS is a critical humanitarian tool and part of the United States’ long history of providing safe haven to those fleeing armed conflict, natural disasters, and repressive conditions. Following the submission of the letter, the Biden Administration announced it was extending protections for four of the seven countries where TPS would soon expire: El Salvador, Venezuela, Ukraine, and Sudan.

“California is proud to be home to more immigrants than any other state in the nation, including over 67,000 TPS holders. It’s what makes our state so great – and it’s why we have the fifth largest economy in the world,” said Attorney General Bonta. “I strongly support the continuation of programs like TPS, which are cornerstones of a fair and humane immigration policy. I applaud the Biden Administration for its extension of TPS for El Salvador, Venezuela, Ukraine, and Sudan, and I urge the Biden Administration to take further action to extend TPS protections for those immigrants who are seeking a safe haven due to dangerous conditions in their home countries.”

At present, 17 countries are designated for TPS, all of which are not places to which it is safe to return. From Afghanistan to Yemen, the current list of designated countries reflects a judgment that the United States has a moral and legal obligation to allow people from these countries who are already present in the United States to stay here until conditions in their home countries improve. The attorneys general urge the Biden Administration to extend TPS designations for all countries currently so designated, but at a minimum, extend the designations of countries whose designation is set to expire within the next six months: Afghanistan, El Salvador, Nepal, South Sudan, Sudan, Ukraine, and Venezuela.  

Additionally, the attorneys general urge the Biden Administration to designate the following countries for TPS: Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Libya, and Mali. According to the U.S. Department of State, these countries are all experiencing widespread human rights violations, including extrajudicial killings. Several of these countries are experiencing armed conflict that jeopardizes civilian lives and involves conflict-related sexual violence, use of child soldiers, and other horrors.

Attorney General Bonta joins the attorneys general of New York, Arizona, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, Rhode Island, and Vermont in sending the letter.  

A copy of the letter can be found here.  

For more information on immigrant rights and resources, visit oag.ca.gov/immigrant/resources.