(DailyVantage.com)- The Biden-Harris administration has approved significant overtime hours for Department of Homeland Security (DHS) agents to push through a large number of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) approvals before Inauguration Day, according to an insider report from The Daily Wire. A DHS agent, identified as “Jason,” revealed that supervisors have directed agents to clear TPS application backlogs within 120 days, which would grant many immigrants from countries like Haiti, Venezuela, and Lebanon the right to stay and work in the U.S. for two years, shielding them from deportation.
To accelerate the process, DHS is allowing agents to work up to 30 extra hours per pay period. Jason shared concerns that the emphasis on speed has led agents to grant TPS rather than risk denial or delays by investigating applications more thoroughly.
While DHS insists that applicants are properly vetted, Jason described the vetting as minimal, with agents often approving applications based on brief forms completed without any follow-up questions or in-depth background checks. According to Jason, most DHS agents now work remotely, which often means approving applications without meeting applicants face-to-face or conducting more rigorous background inquiries. In practice, Jason noted, vetting sometimes involves nothing more than clicking “no” to crime-related questions.
DHS data indicates that between October 2023 and June 2024, 98% of TPS applications were approved, while only 2% were denied. According to Jason, denial often results from incomplete paperwork rather than any specific findings of criminal background.
TPS is meant to allow nationals from certain countries facing dire circumstances to temporarily stay in the U.S. Republican lawmakers have voiced concerns that the list of eligible TPS countries has expanded significantly, making the program, in their view, a “rolling amnesty” that shields an increasing number of undocumented immigrants from deportation.
Jason warned that the rapid approval of TPS applications, combined with limited scrutiny, could pose serious challenges for tracking or deporting TPS holders once their protection expires. As more immigrants receive TPS, critics worry it could become increasingly difficult to manage or reverse the program’s impact if immigration policies shift in the future.
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