President Joe Biden is allowing hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans in the United States to apply for temporary protection in the country. On Monday, March 8, he issued an executive order from the White House instead of going through Congress that could benefit more than 320,000 Venezuelans.

The Temporary Protected Status will allow Venezuelans in the country to stay and work legally in the United States for 18 months.

"Living conditions in Venezuela reveal a country in turmoil, unable to protect its own citizens," said Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. "It is in times of extraordinary and temporary circumstances such as these that the United States steps forward to support eligible Venezuelan nationals already present here as their home country seeks to right itself out of the current crises."

The measure is intended to bolster pressure on the Venezuelan government.

Senator Bob Menendez, who chairs the Foreing Relations Committee, stated that the United States cannot continue to deport Venezuelans as it would be telling them "that they are a burden to the community, a threat to our national security and an unwelcome guest in our country."

Along with Menendez, Senator Dick Durbin, Democrat of Illinois, are sponsors of Biden's major immigration bill that was introduced on Feb. 18.

Temporary Protected Status, or TPS, is a temporary, renewable benefit that provides protection from deportation and permission to work to those who cannot return to their countries due to crises, such as natural disasters, armed conflicts or other conditions. To apply for TPS, continuous residence in the United States must be demonstrated.

The Department of Homeland Security will announce a 180-day period for Venezuelan nationals to file their applications with Citizenship and Immigration Services. Further details and requirements will be published in a Federal Register notice.