Rep. Andy Biggs Slams Biden Admin's TPS Background Checks and Record Access

Temporary Protected Status (TPS) Criteria

• 💡 Temporary Protected Status (TPS) is statutorily granted to individuals in countries experiencing an ongoing armed conflict or a significant environmental disaster.
• ⚠️ The status is intended to be temporary, with conditions that warranting it expected to dissipate once the crisis is resolved.

Challenges with Background Checks for TPS

• 🚫 Criminal background checks for TPS applicants are impossible when the U.S. lacks access to records from the applicant's home country, such as Venezuela or Somalia.
• 🤥 Claims of thorough vetting are dismissed as "BS" by Rep. Biggs, who states that without access to records, it's impossible to verify individuals' backgrounds.
• 📈 The Biden administration's CHMV program is criticized for allowing individuals into the country without proper vetting.

TPS and Illegal Immigration

• 📊 A vast majority of individuals granted TPS are estimated to have entered the country illegally.
• 🌍 Programs like the CHMV program are described as simply choosing "not to enforce the law" rather than being statutorily authorized.
• 💰 Over 600,000 Venezuelans received TPS status, with the majority under the Biden administration's CHMV program, often justified by poverty rather than statutory conditions.

Extended TPS and Permanent Status

• ⚠️ El Salvador, now considered one of the safest countries, still has approximately 230,000 Salvadorans with TPS for over 25 years, which is no longer temporary.
• ⏳ The authority to extend TPS indefinitely is questioned, as the statute requires re-evaluation every 6 to 18 months.
• 🔍 The Trump administration's approach is described as re-evaluating and not renewing TPS when conditions are no longer met, adhering to statutory requirements.