Trump has ended temporary protected status for 300,000 Venezuelans, according to the New York Times.
The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has revoked Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for over 300,000 Venezuelans in the United States. As a result, they have become vulnerable to potential deportation in the coming months.
This was reported by RBK-Ukraine citing The New York Times.
This move, the first by President Trump to revoke such protection in his second term, indicates his intention to continue suppressing the program, similar to his attempts to eliminate status for migrants from Sudan, El Salvador, and Haiti. This decision also marks the latest in a series of actions by the Trump administration to tighten the immigration system, including halting programs that allowed migrants to enter through previously legal channels and freezing the refugee admission system.
According to NYT, when the first Trump administration ended protections for migrants from El Salvador and Haiti, officials allowed those affected to maintain their status for 12-18 months before it was terminated.
This time, the administration opted for a more expedited approach. Therefore, those under TPS from Venezuela who received protection in 2023 will lose their temporary status 50 days after the government publishes a notice of termination.
Republican critics of the program stated that it had been used to allow migrants to stay much longer than initially intended. Additionally, it evolved from something temporary into a more permanent arrangement.
Meanwhile, documents obtained by NYT indicate that over 300,000 Venezuelans held TPS until April. Another group of more than 250,000 Venezuelans has protection until September and will currently be affected. However, the decision suggests that they and others with TPS status could face the risk of losing it in the future.
As the publication notes, this program is designed for migrants who cannot be returned to countries experiencing natural disasters or conflicts.
Specifically, in recent years, migrants have fled Venezuela as the government under President Nicolás Maduro collapsed. The administration of former U.S. President Joe Biden struggled for a long time to deport migrants to Venezuela, as the country did not allow deportation flights. However, the situation recently changed.
On Saturday, U.S. President Donald Trump stated on social media that the Venezuelan government had changed its stance regarding this decision, although officials in Caracas did not publicly confirm such an agreement.
"Venezuela has agreed to take back all Venezuelan illegal immigrants who were placed in the U.S., including members of the Tren de Aragua gang. Venezuela has also agreed to provide transport back. We are in the process of deporting a record number of illegal immigrants from all countries, and all countries have agreed to take these illegal immigrants back," Trump wrote.
The New York Times added that the TPS program has significantly grown over the past few years. According to the Congressional Research Service, by the end of last year, more than one million people held this status.
What Might Have Led to Venezuela's Decision to Accept Migrants Back
Recall that on January 26, Colombia refused to accept two U.S. military planes carrying deported migrants. In response, Trump instructed his administration to impose a 25% tariff on the country, along with various sanctions and more.
A few hours later, it was reported that Colombia agreed to Trump's terms. This was communicated directly from the White House, noting that the document with planned measures would not be signed until Colombia violated the agreements.