Trump ends temporary protected status for Venezuelans in retaliation
3 Min Read
Venezuela's interior minister said Trump revoked the status in retaliation for opposition leader María Corina Machado backing Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris.
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A migrant family from Venezuela crosses the Rio Grande River in Eagle Pass, Texas, at the US-Mexico border on June 30. (AFP via Getty Images)
Venezuelan Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello announced that US President Donald Trump has revoked Temporary Protected Status for Venezuelans, confirming that the decision was a direct retaliation for opposition leader María Corina Machado's support for US Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris.
Cabello disclosed that the Trump administration is investigating several Venezuelan opposition figures, including Juan Guaido, regarding financial support they received from the US Agency for International Development (USAID).
Regarding far-right Venezuelan candidate Edmondo Gonzalez, Cabello stated that he "does not want to return to Spain, as he is on the verge of losing his political asylum there."
Cabello further explained that Gonzalez’s planned tour in Miami was canceled due to widespread rejection by the Venezuelan community in the city.
It’s noteworthy that Ecuador's President Daniel Noboa hosted Gonzalez in a bid to "secure the votes of migrants in the upcoming elections," while Peru’s President, Dina Boluarte, welcomed him to "divert attention from corruption investigations targeting her."
In a prior interview for The Washington Post, Gonzalez asserted that "the US has a vested interest in adopting a strategy that weakens Maduro’s government," cautioning Trump against striking a deportation deal with Maduro.
Dive deeper
The Trump administration has reversed, on Wednesday, an extension of deportation protections granted to over 600,000 Venezuelans by the Biden administration.
On Tuesday, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem rescinded the 18-month extension of the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) program, which had allowed Venezuelans to remain in the US due to the unsafe conditions in their home country.
TPS provides temporary refuge for people fleeing armed conflict, environmental disasters, or other extraordinary conditions. While the program grants legal status for its duration, it does not offer a pathway to permanent US citizenship.
The extension was originally issued by former Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas under the Biden administration earlier this year. Around a million immigrants from 17 countries, including Haiti, Honduras, Nicaragua, Afghanistan, Sudan, and Lebanon, are shielded by the TPS program.
During the election campaign, Trump and his vice president, JD Vance, indicated plans to reduce the use of TPS and other temporary status policies as part of their commitment to mass deportations. In his first term, Trump attempted to end most TPS enrollment, but federal courts blocked his efforts.
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