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Trump Administration Revokes Deportation Protections for 600,000 Venezuelans

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem reverses Biden-era Temporary Protected Status extension, leaving Venezuelan migrants in legal and economic uncertainty.

US Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem speaks to staff for the first time at Department of Homeland Security (DHS) headquarters in Washington, DC, on January 28, 2025. (Photo by Manuel Balce Ceneta / POOL / AFP)
TPS protest
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Venezuelans who crossed to the U.S. from Mexico waiting to continue on their journey on September 20, 2022 in El Paso, Texas.

Overview

  • The Trump administration has rescinded an 18-month extension of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Venezuelan nationals, initially granted by the Biden administration earlier this month.
  • Approximately 600,000 Venezuelans, many of whom have been living and working legally in the U.S., now face potential deportation as protections revert to earlier expiration dates in April and September of this year.
  • The Department of Homeland Security cited procedural concerns, claiming the extension was issued prematurely and tied the hands of the incoming administration.
  • Venezuelans impacted by the decision express fear and uncertainty, with many stating they cannot safely return to their home country due to ongoing political and economic crises under Nicolás Maduro's regime.
  • Advocacy groups warn of significant economic and humanitarian impacts, and legal challenges to the revocation are being prepared by organizations like the National TPS Alliance.