Under the direction of US President Donald Trump, Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem has determined that conditions in Venezuela no longer support the 2023 designation of Venezuela for Temporary Protected Status (TPS).
TPS and related benefits associated with the 2023 designation will no longer be in effect starting 60 days after the Federal Register notice is published. The move affects approximately 348,000 Venezuelan nationals. This decision aligns with President Donald Trump’s broader initiative to tighten immigration policies.
TPS is a program that offers temporary legal status and work authorization to individuals from countries experiencing extraordinary conditions, such as armed conflict or natural disasters. The Biden administration had previously extended TPS to cover over 1 million individuals from 17 nations, including Venezuela. The current termination will affect those whose protections were set to expire in April, while approximately 300,000 Venezuelans with TPS will retain their status until September.
The DHS has cited improvements in Venezuela’s economy, public health, and security as reasons for ending TPS for these individuals. The termination will become effective 60 days after its publication in the Federal Register, resulting in the loss of deportation relief and work permits for the affected Venezuelans by April.
Deporting Venezuelan nationals has been challenging due to strained diplomatic relations between the US and Venezuela. However, President Trump has indicated that Venezuela has agreed to accept deportees, though specific details have not been provided.
This policy shift has prompted concern among Venezuelan migrants in the US, Ana Maria Pirela, a 26-year-old Venezuelan residing in California under TPS, expressed uncertainty about her future to Reuters, stating, “I don’t know what will happen… I don’t want to go back to Venezuela.”
The Venezuelan opposition has urged the US government to maintain TPS, emphasizing that conditions in Venezuela remain precarious. They argue that terminating these protections could endanger the lives of many who sought refuge in the United States.
This development is part of a series of recent US immigration policy changes. For instance, Guatemala has agreed to accept 40% more deportation flights from the US, following discussions between Guatemalan President Bernardo Arévalo and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Additionally, El Salvador has offered to house dangerous criminals deported by the US in its prisons, including gang members and US citizens convicted of crimes.
The termination of TPS for Venezuelans reflects the Trump administration’s commitment to revisiting and potentially reversing immigration policies established by previous administrations. As the effective date approaches, affected individuals and advocacy groups closely monitor the situation and explore possible legal challenges.
Headline Image: Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem. Photo credit: Flickr – Gage Skidmore.
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