US extends temporary protection to nearly 500,000 Venezuelan migrants

A woman and child cross into the United States from Mexico, passing a tangle of concertina near Eagle Pass, Texas, on September 21 [Eric Gay/AP Photo]

The administration of President Joe Biden has extended temporary legal status to an estimated 472,000 Venezuelans living in the United States, citing “extraordinary” circumstances.

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas announced the decision late on Wednesday, saying that “the conditions in their home country prevent their safe return.”