Temporary Protected Status for Syria extended and redesignated

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas announced on Friday that the Biden administration has extended and redesignated Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Syria for 18 months, from April 1, 2024 to September 30, 2025. This decision was made due to continuing armed conflict and extraordinary and temporary circumstances that prevent people from safely returning to the country.

Bipartisan Senate immigration deal appears to be a non-starter in the House

According to those privy to a private conversation between House Speaker Mike Johnson and other Republican members of the House, the Speaker was quoted as saying there is “no way forward” for a bipartisan immigration deal that is being negotiated in the Senate with the Biden administration. He denied that his statement is based on the fact that former President Trump is against the deal, but rather because they will not agree to legislation that does not include House bill HR 2, a conservative immigration bill that is seen as not having any possibility of passing the Senate.

Meanwhile, President Biden has vowed to shut down the border as soon as a deal is signed into law. “What’s been negotiated would — if passed into law — be the toughest and fairest set of reforms to secure the border we’ve ever had in our country,” he said in a written statement. “It would give me, as president, a new emergency authority to shut down the border when it becomes overwhelmed. And if given that authority, I would use it the day I sign the bill into law.”

However, current and former DHS officials have expressed concern over the President shutting down the border, stating that it is not feasible without coordination with the Mexican government and that it would cause additional chaos in an already difficult situation. “You can’t shove back 8,000 migrants a day without the Mexicans’ approval,” a former official said. “What you would create is frantic surges in the weakened parts of the border.”