US Acting Homeland Security Secretary David Pecowski said on Friday that his country has extended the temporary protection status of Syrian immigrants for 18 months, in a step within its broader pro-immigration program.

Pecoski said - in a press statement - that his country carefully studied the latest developments in Syria and consulted with the relevant American institutions in this regard.

He added that it was decided to extend the temporary protection period granted to the Syrians, noting that about 7,000 Syrians benefit from temporary protection in his country.

The latest decision allows Syrians with temporary protection status to continue to legally reside in the United States until September 30, 2022.

The temporary protection period for Syrians who obtained it in the United States was supposed to expire on March 31.

Biden and the Immigration Dossier

US President Joe Biden has pledged greater tolerance for refugees and immigrants, thus his stance contrasts with the hard-line policies of former Republican President Donald Trump, who backed away from many humanitarian protection measures.

According to Biden's classification, it is now possible for more Syrians in the United States to request protection under the temporary protection regime, and this step is consistent with the US president's broader plans to extend the limits of the umbrella of protection provided by the program.

Biden also pledged to grant temporary protection status to immigrants from Venezuela due to its economic conditions, although Trump preempted this step by providing protection through a similar program before he left office.

Moreover, Biden's transition team discussed the possibility of putting Guatemala and Honduras in the program, as well as potentially opening the door to protection for more than a million people.