The US ends the TPS that protected thousands of Venezuelans from deportation

Migratory authorities in the US put an end to the temporal protection status (TPS) that had thousands of Venezuelan citizens and protected them from deportations. It was planned to come on April 2, 2025.

The Secretary of the US National Security (DHS), Kristi Noem, issued an order with which he ends the designation of temporal protection status (TPS), which covered hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans from deportations.

Noem canceled the networks assignment made in 2023 by the administration of President Joe Biden, which extended the TPS and granted work permits until April 2, 2025.

“After reviewing the conditions of the country and considering whether the entry of Venezuelan citizens covered by the designation of 2023 is contrary to the US national interest, in consultation with the corresponding US government agencies, the Secretary of National Security has determined that Venezuela already It does not continue to meet the conditions for the designation of 2023 “, read in the order.

The action details that for Noem, “it is contrary to the national interest allow the national Venezuelan nationals to remain temporarily in the US.”

What does the cancellation say?

The order issued by DHS will be published in the Federal Registry on February 5. The TPS termination will then be effective 60 days after this date.

This cancellation applies only to the designation of TPS made in 2023, which sheltered people who had been present in the US since October of that year and is expected to expire on April 2, 2025.

After this, Venezuelans who have been given TPS under the designation of 2023 will no longer have protection against deportation and lose their work permits.

A separate designation, which was carried out in 2021 and extends the protections until September 10, 2025, remains in force and Venezuelans under the order will continue with their status until that date.

The measure affects more than 300,000, or about half, of the 600,000 Venezuelans with TPS living in the United States.

The TPS is a temporary immigration status granted by the US that allows people from certain countries to stay and work in US territory. At present, the program covers more than one million people from 17 nationalities.

Recently, DHS too canceled the extension from the TPS to Venezuelans granted by Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas days before the end of the Biden Administration.

Reasons for cancellation

Noem ensures in the order issued that “although certain conditions for the designation of 2023 of TPS for Venezuela continue, there are notable improvements in several areas such as economy, public health and the crime that allows these nationals to return safely to their country of Origin ”.

“The TPS has allowed an important population of inadmissible or illegal foreigners without the possibility of obtaining a legal immigration status. been insufficient to meet the demands caused by the increase in the number of immigrants. Among these Venezuelan citizens who have crossed the US are members of the Venezuelan gang known as a Aragua train, ”says Noem.

Days ago, when canceling the extension, the former Venezuelan presidential candidate, Henrique Capriles, said it is “retrograde and an error” to insinuate that the 600,000 Venezuelans benefited from the TPS are members of the Aragua train.

Ángel Leal, an immigration lawyer, told the Voice of America That this cancellation could face legal challenges in the US Courts, however, he anticipated that people should prepare for when the cancellation arrives.

“People have to understand their immigration status. If you are with deportation order or not, because if you are with a deportation order, your only protection is TPS,” he said.

For those who do not have a deportation order and are, on the other hand, with a pending asylum case, continue with their case.

The Church World Service organization, which helps immigrants in the US, expressed “concern” about the revocation of the TPS.

“Canceling TPS for Venezuelans will have immense effects on families, US communities and our local, state and national economies. It is a decision that ignores the ongoing political repression, economic collapse, generalized violations of human rights and Humanitarian crisis, marked by the shortage of food and medicines, which makes Venezuela insecure for the return, ”Danilo Zak, director of policies of the organization, said in written communication.

On Saturday, President Trump said Venezuela agreed to receive all Venezuelan irregular immigrants captured in the United States and pay their transport.