Biden to extend legal status for four nationalities, reversing Trump

The Biden administration said Tuesday that it will extend legal status by 18 months for more than 300,000 people from El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua and Nepal, disappointing some advocates and members of Congress who sought a more generous offer.

The extensions provide "continued safety and protection" for those already legally in the US on Temporary Protected Status, which is due to end soon under Trump-era decisions, said US Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.

While the decision benefits an estimated 334,000 people from the four countries, including 239,000 from El Salvador, some had hoped for a far more sweeping gesture including expanded eligibility for more recent arrivals from El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua and Venezuela.

US Senator Bob Menendez, a New Jersey Democrat who strongly pressed the White House for extensions, applauded the step but added it "simply does not go far enough" and suggested it "may have been driven in part by political calculations instea