President Trump Revoke Deportation Protections for 300,000 Venezuelans in the U.S.

The Trump administration has revoked deportation protections for over 300,000 Venezuelans living in the United States, adding to the uncertainty for many already affected by a previous decision to cancel the extension of Temporary Protected Status (TPS).

This move comes shortly after the administration reversed an 18-month extension of TPS granted during the final days of President Joe Biden’s term, which affected more than 600,000 Venezuelans.

Now, a smaller group of Venezuelans who were granted TPS in 2023 and expected to stay until at least April will lose their protections. They have been given just 60 days to adjust before facing the risk of deportation.

Another 250,000 Venezuelans who received TPS in 2021 remain protected until September, but their future remains uncertain.

TPS is a federal program that allows individuals fleeing natural disasters or armed conflicts to live and work in the U.S., though it does not provide a direct path to citizenship.

Many Venezuelans were granted TPS to escape the political and economic crisis under President Nicolás Maduro.

The Venezuelan opposition website El Pitazo described the cancellation of the Biden-era extension as having “fallen like an atomic bomb over this migrant community.”

Journalist Andrés Oppenheimer, writing in the Miami Herald, pointed out that Trump’s move affected “some of his most ardent supporters in the US—both voters and TPS-holders”. 

Trump has long criticized the TPS program. During his first term, he made attempts to end protections for immigrants from El Salvador and Haiti.

On Sunday, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem defended the decision during an appearance on NBC News’ Meet the Press. Wearing a cowboy hat, she mistakenly referred to TPS as “TPP” and claimed the program had lost credibility.

Noem also reiterated Trump’s campaign claim that the Venezuelan government had released prisoners and sent them to the U.S. She further alleged that “folks from Venezuela” who have entered the country are members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, which is often abbreviated as TDA.

However, the Department of Homeland Security has identified only around 600 migrants in the U.S. who may have ties to the gang, a small fraction of the 600,000 Venezuelans with TPS protections.