July 9 (UPI) — The Biden administration has announced it is taking action to protect thousands of Yemeni refugees from deportation, attracting praise from immigration advocacy organizations.
Yemen has long be characterized by the United Nations as the world’s worst humanitarian crisis due to its civil war that erupted in 2014.
Since September of 2015, Washington has offered a handful of Yemenis already present in the United States protection from deportation due to the conditions in their home country by designating it for Temporary Protected Status — a designation that has been extended five times.
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on Monday announced that he was against extending TPS protections for some 2,300 Yemeni beneficiaries of the program, protecting them from deporation until at least March 3, 2026.
He is also re-designating Yemen for TPS, making an estimated 1,700 Yemeni nationals who have resided in the United States since July 2 eligible for the program.
“Yemen has been in a state of protracted conflict for the past decade, severely limiting civilians’ access to water, food and medical care, pushing the country to the brink of economic collapse, and preventing Yemeni nationals living abroad from safely returning home,” Mayorkas said Monday in a statement.
“The steps the Department of Homeland Security has taken today will allow certain Yemenis currently residing in the United States to remain and work here until conditions in their home country improve.”
Current TPS beneficiaries who wish to extend their status must re-register during the 60-day window that opens July 10, the department said.
The New York Immigration Coalition said they “applaud” the Biden administration for “recognizing the severe and ongoing challenges in Yemen” with its move on Monday.
“This measure is a significant step forward in providing immediate relief and stability to those affected by Yemen’s dire conditions,” Murad Awawdeh, president and CEO of the coalition of more than 200 immigrant and refugee rights groups in New York State, said in a statement, while stating that this is only a temporary measure and does not offer a permanent solution.
“We continue to urge leadership in Congress and the White House to work toward comprehensive immigration reform that includes permanent pathways to citizenship for immigrants seeking safety and the opportunity to live with security and dignity in the United States,” Awawdeh said.
The move by the Department of Homeland Security comes after a trio of Democratic House lawmakers, led my Rep. Debbie Dingell, sent Mayorkas and Secretary of State Antony Blinken a letter in June urging them to extend and re-designate Yemen for TPS.
On Monday, she said in a statement that the extension and re-designation of Yemen for TPS was “the right thing to do, reaffirms the United States’ commitment to human rights and will provide important relief to Yemeni families who desperately need it.”
Late last month, Mayorkas announced the extension and re-designation of Haiti for TPS, from Aug. 4 to Feb. 3, 2026.