Not too long ago President Joe Biden set tongues wagging by pardoning his son Hunter Biden of all federal crimes; with this came a thought if a blanket pardon was on the cards for “all” the enemies of incoming President Donald Trump or those publicly identified.

This is not to forget commuting death sentences to some 37 federal inmates on death row. And came executive orders to ban offshore drilling and, most recently, extending the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to hundreds of thousands from countries like Venezuela, Ukraine, El Salvador and Sudan.

Even before the latest extension of TPS, Trump was clearly irritated at the Biden moves stressing that it was hurting the agenda of the incoming administration.

“They say we’re going to have a smooth transition. All they do is talk,” Trump said before giving his thoughts on the drilling ban. “I am going to have it revoked on day one… they try to be sneaky”. Academics and experts argue that Trump’s comments are not out of the ordinary as what Biden is doing is nothing unique as others before have done similar things, Trump included.

Immigration issue

Nothing would rankle Trump and his cohorts more than making things difficult on the immigration front. Some argue that extension of the TPS is written by a law that cannot be reversed with an executive order; others making the point that it would eventually play out before the courts.

And this would hold good for any mass deportation order or setting up of internment camps as a midway process.

Established by Congress in 1990, the TPS allows immigrants to staying in the US legally if the home countries face serious damage from natural disasters or face political and civil crisis. It is estimated that about one million people from 17 countries benefit from this programme.

Those authorised under the TPS are permitted to remain and work legally for the duration of status with extensions given in increments of 18 months.

The TPS does not provide a legal way to being a citizen although conservatives have maintained that prolonged renewals were creating a de facto path to permanent residency as well as a reluctance to go back even if conditions improved. During the course of 2024 election campaigning the Trump-Vance team had made it very clear on where they stood on mass deportations and on ending the TPS.

Blanket pardon?

The big question between now and the January 20 inauguration is if Biden is still going through with a blanket pardon although the President has made it known that he is not planning one for himself as he has done no wrong.

“The idea that he (Trump) would punish people for not adhering to what he thinks should be policy as related to his well-being is outrageous, but there is still consideration of some folks, but no decision,” Biden has said.

It is believed that some Republican and Democratic law-makers are on Trump’s radar for their roles in the investigation of the January 6, 2021, riots on Capitol Hill.

Republican law-maker, Adam Kinzinger, has rejected a Biden pardon. “…the second you take a pardon and it looks like you’re guilty of something — I’m guilty of nothing besides bringing the truth to the American people and, in the process, embarrassing Donald Trump”, he said.

There was one sobering thought that came away from a recent Supreme Court ruling on Trump’s hush money case. Some looked at the refusal of the apex court to delay sentencing as a blot on Trump being the first felon to enter the White House. Others, in a larger perspective: of a message that conservatives on the apex court do not automatically get on Trump’s side, even if earlier appointed by him.

The writer is a senior journalist who has reported from Washington DC on North America and United Nations