Controversial ‘de facto amnesty’ program quadrupled under Biden
The Biden administration has come under fire for nearly quadrupling the number of immigrants protected from deportation under the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) program. A new House report obtained by Fox News Digital reveals that over 1.4 million aliens from 16 different countries were granted TPS as of January, a significant increase from the 410,000 beneficiaries at the end of the Trump administration.
The TPS program, implemented in the 1990s, provides protection from deportation and allows work permits for nationals from countries facing unsafe conditions due to armed conflict or natural disasters. While the first Trump administration sought to limit the number of migrants eligible for TPS, the Biden administration expanded the program, adding one million aliens in just four years.
The report highlights that the Biden-Harris administration has significantly increased the number of TPS beneficiaries, with approximately 725,000 individuals entering during their tenure. The majority of TPS beneficiaries come from Haiti and Venezuela, with 95% of Venezuelans protected under TPS having entered the country illegally or via humanitarian parole.
In the case of Venezuela, TPS beneficiaries surged from 55,000 in January 2021 to 342,260 in January 2025, with 91% entering without a visa. Similarly, for Haiti, the number of TPS beneficiaries rose sharply under the Biden administration, from 55,000 to 342,260 individuals.
The House Judiciary Committee report criticizes the Biden administration for expanding TPS to hundreds of thousands of new aliens, many of whom are in the country illegally. It also raises concerns about potential fraud in the program, citing instances of aliens claiming different nationalities for parole and TPS grants.
In response to the surge in TPS beneficiaries, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem has taken steps to restore the program to its original temporary status. The Trump administration has revoked TPS for Haitians and more than 300,000 Venezuelan nationals, with the Judiciary Committee report calling for further reforms to ensure the integrity of the program.
While Noem’s actions are seen as a critical first step in addressing TPS abuse, the report emphasizes the need for Congress to play a role in implementing reforms to prevent future exploitation of the program. The Biden administration’s handling of TPS has sparked debate over immigration policy and the balance between humanitarian concerns and national security.
Adam Shaw, a politics reporter for Fox News Digital, covers immigration and border security issues. For more information on this topic, you can reach out to him at adam.shaw2@fox.com or follow him on Twitter at @AdamShawNY.
