Trump admin. rescinds extended protections for Venezuelans: NYT
3 Min Read
On his first day in office for a second term, Trump signed an executive order titled "Protecting the American People Against Invasion," directing a review of all Temporary Protected Status designations.
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US Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem speaks to staff for the first time at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) headquarters in Washington, DC, on January 28, 2025. (AFP)
The Trump administration has rescinded an extension of deportation protections that the previous Biden administration had granted to more than 600,000 Venezuelans residing in the United States, The New York Times reported on Tuesday, citing a copy of the decision.
According to the report, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem revoked a Biden administration measure that had provided Venezuelans with an additional 18 months of deportation relief and work permits under the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) program.
President Donald Trump has pledged to tighten immigration policies and curtail humanitarian programs he argues exceed the scope of US law.
During his first term, Trump sought to terminate most TPS designations but was blocked by federal courts.
TPS grants temporary legal status to individuals from countries affected by natural disasters, armed conflicts, or other extraordinary circumstances. Former President Joe Biden significantly expanded the program, which now covers over 1 million people from 17 countries.
Biden's Homeland Security Secretary, Alejandro Mayorkas, authorized the extension for Venezuelans just ten days before Trump assumed office, despite existing protections remaining valid until April for some enrollees and September for others. Mayorkas also extended TPS for individuals from El Salvador, Ukraine, and Sudan.
The New York Times reported that Noem’s rollback of the extension now requires her to determine the status of protections expiring in April by Saturday; otherwise, they will be automatically renewed for six months.
On his first day in office for a second term, Trump signed an executive order titled "Protecting the American People Against Invasion," directing a review of all Temporary Protected Status (TPS) designations.
According to the Pew Research Center, as of March 2024, approximately 1.2 million people in the United States were either eligible for or receiving TPS, with Venezuelans comprising the largest group.
Under the Biden administration, the Department of Homeland Security justified extending TPS for Venezuelans, citing the country’s "severe humanitarian emergency" caused by ongoing political and economic crises under what it described as the "inhumane Maduro regime."
Nicolas Maduro was sworn in for a third term as Venezuela’s president in January.
The United States does not recognize the legitimacy of his election victory and has placed a $25 million bounty on his capture over narcotics trafficking charges.
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