U.S. Will Allow Nearly 500,000 Venezuelan Migrants to Work Legally (for 18 months)

The move, announced late Wednesday, followed intense lobbying by New York Democrats before and during President Biden's visit to New York City this week...

...In an unusual break with a president of their party, the New York Democrats had argued that the city's social safety net would tear under the weight of more than 110,000 recently arrived migrants unless they were allowed to work and support themselves more quickly.

Alejandro Mayorkas, the homeland security secretary, said that he made the decision because conditions in Venezuela 'prevent their safe return' but stressed that immigrants who had entered the country since August were not protected and would be 'removed when they are found to not have a legal basis to stay.'...

Democratic leaders elsewhere, including in Illinois, have also been calling for help, and praised the move on Wednesday evening.

As the number of migrants rises in northern cities, straining budgets and space, Democratic candidates and political strategists have been increasingly worried the crisis could hurt their standing among voters. Republicans in New York, for instance, where control of the House could be decided next year, have wasted little time in stoking a sense of chaos and Democratic discord in races for key swing seats.

nytimes.com - Biden adams migrants