Staff Reports
The Biden administration, under the guidance of Alejandro Mayorkas, has once again demonstrated its unabashed commitment to pro-migration policies by extending temporary amnesty for 850,000 illegal and quasi-legal economic migrants until 2026. This latest move effectively bolsters the already strained job market for American workers, as it suppresses wages and pushes up rents, a delightful combination that surely keeps many Americans scratching their heads at the administration’s priorities.
The expansion of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) is being hailed as a necessary action due to “bad weather” in the home countries of these migrants. The irony is palpable; while Mayorkas cites geological and weather events as justification for keeping thousands of migrants from El Salvador—who originally gained status after a devastating earthquake in 2001—their home country’s economy is actually thriving, thanks in part to the efforts of President Nayib Bukele in reinstating law and order. In light of this, one has to wonder why these economic migrants are still here, clogging up American job opportunities and enjoying work permits with no end in sight.
Included in this rather generous amnesty package are 600,000 economic migrants from Venezuela, fleeing a regime that has famously turned a once-thriving nation into a humanitarian crisis. Mayorkas found a way to spin this into an opportunity for his pro-migration agenda, arguing that allowing these individuals to stay will protect them from the political and economic turmoil created by the Maduro regime. Yet, this decision appears more like a calculated strategy to keep Venezuelan workers employed in the U.S. rather than back home, where they could potentially pose a threat to the regime’s stability. What a windfall for a dictator who’s struggling to suppress dissent.
The U.S. government’s allowance of remittances—money sent back home by these migrants—has become a double-edged sword. Instead of promoting democracy and uplifting those in need, these funds are ultimately bolstering oppressive regimes. It’s astounding how a country that once sought to support democracy in South America is now in the business of extracting wage-depressing labor for domestic employers, forcing Americans to shoulder the burden of rising rents and stagnant wages.
Under Mayorkas, the number of TPS recipients has skyrocketed to about one million, helping to undermine communities from Springfield, Ohio, to San Francisco, California. Expanding TPS for migrants from Ukraine and Sudan adds fuel to a fire that’s already caused serious concern among working-class Americans who feel left in the dust while their opportunities are handed over to foreign nationals. As businesses celebrate this influx of renters and laborers, ordinary American citizens are forced to bear the brunt through elevated costs and reduced job prospects.
How is this legal? There should be laws against the outgoing administrative purposely hamstringing the incoming administrative! #biden#BidenWorstPresidentEverhttps://t.co/NyNoC86Rp9
— Chris Fetcko (@ChrisFetck49310) January 11, 2025
While business lobbies sing the praises of this amnesty, critics argue that the identification and resolution of these issues have been kicked down the road for future administrations. Trump’s former officials might be breathing a sigh of relief, as they are left to grapple with the ramifications of these decisions once they take office again. The justification for TPS continues to sound increasingly flimsy, with reports of “bad weather” and “coffee blight” passing as adequate reasons for extending amnesty. It’s as if the current administration is playing a game where the stakes are citizens’ livelihoods, making one wonder just how far off the rails policy has gone in this pro-migration circus.
The clock is ticking on these temporary protections, set to expire in September 2026. Meanwhile, the Biden administration’s cavalier attitude towards immigration leaves working-class Americans in the lurch—a situation that will surely not be overlooked in upcoming elections.
