U.S. President Joe Biden has granted an extension of special immigration protection status for nearly one million immigrants from Sudan, El Salvador, Venezuela and Ukraine as one of his final acts in office.

This move is apparently part of Mr Biden administration’s attempts to disrupt President-elect Donald Trump’s plans to embark on a massive deportation campaign immediately upon his return to the White House on January 20.

According to Immigration Impact, the four grants will cover immigrants from Sudan, Ukraine, Venezuela, and El Salvador under the Temporary Protected Status, protecting them from deportation until at least mid-2026. 

It will also grant them access to work permits during the period — details of the latest grants are expected to be published on January 17, three days before Mr Trump’s inauguration.

The new plan will benefit an estimated 607,000 Venezuelans, 232,000 Salvadorans, 103,700 Ukrainians, and 1,900 Sudanese nationals.

Mr Trump will have to wait until 2026 when the four countries’ TPS status expires before his administration can make any attempt to deport them.