Washington (AP) – The Trump administration is ending protections for around 350,000 Venezuelans living in the U.S., giving them two months before they lose their right to work in the country. The order from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem affects 348,202 Venezuelans with Temporary Protected Status, set to expire in April, which is about half of those granted the protection. The remaining protections are scheduled to end in September.
The termination notice will be officially announced on Wednesday and will take effect 60 days later. This decision is part of the administration’s efforts to tighten immigration policies and carry out significant deportation actions. Temporary Protected Status was established in 1990 to prevent deportations to countries facing crises, allowing individuals to work in the U.S. for up to 18 months at a time. Currently, approximately 1 million immigrants from 17 countries are protected under TPS, with Venezuelans being one of the largest beneficiaries.
The Department of Homeland Security claimed that conditions in Venezuela have improved enough to justify ending the protective status. Secretary Noem mentioned that the TPS designation had been used to allow individuals without other immigration pathways to settle in the U.S., highlighting issues in local communities due to the high numbers of protected individuals.
The decision also referenced the presence of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua among those coming to the U.S. This gang, originating in a lawless prison in Aragua, has grown over the years as millions of Venezuelans have fled President Nicolás Maduro’s regime. Critics have raised concerns about the automatic renewal of TPS status over time, regardless of conditions in the immigrants’ home countries.
Under the Biden administration, protections for Venezuelans were extended until 2026 by the former Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. However, Secretary Noem has now revoked that decision, aiming to focus on deportations to Venezuela. The U.S. currently lacks diplomatic relations with Venezuela, complicating deportation efforts.
During his first term, Trump also attempted to end Temporary Protected Status for individuals from El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, Nepal, Nicaragua, and Sudan, facing legal challenges from immigration advocacy groups that prevented the restrictions from being implemented. The termination notice for Venezuelan protections was first reported by The New York Times.
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