President-Elect Donald Trump is promising sweeping changes to the U.S. immigration system, with a focus on ramping up enforcement and the removal of undocumented immigrants. We can look to his first term, along with his campaign platform, to anticipate upcoming immigration action.

We expect President Trump will take swift action in the following areas through

The 540-day automatic extensions of expiring employment authorization documents (EADs) will be permanent policy, according to a DHS final rule scheduled to be published on Dec. 13, 2024. The new rule will become effective on Jan. 13, 2025.

EAD applicants will be entitled to the 540-day automatic extensions if:

  • They timely filed an EAD renewal application

In October, DHS announced that Lebanese nationals would be eligible for Temporary Protected Status (TPS). On Nov. 27, 2024, that became official. TPS has been granted for 18 months, from Nov. 27, 2024, through May 27, 2026.

Individuals who are otherwise eligible must have been residing in the United States since Oct. 16, 2024, and

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) designated Lebanon for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for 18 months due to the conditions in that country caused by the conflict across the Israeli-Lebanese border. The Oct. 17, 2024, designation will apply to otherwise eligible individuals who have continuously resided in the United States since Oct. 16, 2024.

Instructions

President Joe Biden on July 26, 2024, granted Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) for certain Lebanese nationals for 18 months due to the humanitarian conditions in southern Lebanon created by the ongoing conflict between Hezbollah and Israel. To be eligible, the Lebanese national must have been in the United States as of July 26, 2024, and

The Department of Homeland Security announced that Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Somalia will be extended and redesignated for 18 months from Sept. 18, 2024, to March 17, 2026.

The extension and redesignation respond in part to the continuing armed conflict that exposes those in Somalia to abuse, displacement, food insecurity, and disease. People in Somalia

On June 20, 2024, USCIS announced the automatic extension until March 9, 2025, of Employment Authorization Documents (EADs) issued to certain Temporary Protected Status (TPS) beneficiaries from El Salvador, Honduras, Nepal, Nicaragua, and Sudan. To implement the automatic extension, USCIS indicated that it is  issuing Form I-797, Notices of Action, to all eligible beneficiaries. Individuals

Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Yemen has been extended and redesignated for 18 months from Sept. 4, 2024 until Mar. 3, 2026. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro N. Mayorkas announced that the extension and re-designation have been granted due to the continuing conflict in Yemen.  Yemen is now in the tenth year of

President Joe Biden issued a Memorandum on Extending Eligibility for Deferred Enforced Departure for Liberians that defers from June 30, 2024, through June 30, 2026, the removal of any eligible Liberian national who is present in the United States and who has already been entitled to Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) and has continuously resided

USCIS announced that it is extending the validity of certain Employment Authorization Documents (EADs) issued to Temporary Protected Status (TPS) beneficiaries from El Salvador, Honduras, Nepal, Nicaragua, and Sudan until March 9, 2025. Currently, most of these individuals are the beneficiaries of automatic extensions through June 30, 2024.

To implement these new extensions, USCIS is