South Florida leaders on both sides of the political aisle are voicing concern after the U.S. Supreme Court allowed the federal government to revoke Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Venezuelan nationals, potentially putting hundreds of South Florida residents at risk of deportation.
The Biden administration initially extended TPS to Venezuelans in 2021, citing the humanitarian crisis under President Nicolás Maduro’s regime. Since then, thousands have come to the U.S. seeking safety and stability.
That protection is now in jeopardy.
“Three hundred fifty thousand Venezuelans, law-abiding people. Families, workers, neighbors have had their legal status ripped away for no reason,” said Abel Delgado, President of the Miami-Dade Democratic Hispanic Caucus.
Bipartisan voices call for compassion, action
South Florida Republicans also criticized the ruling.
U.S. Rep. Carlos Gimenez (R-FL) emphasized the positive contributions of Venezuelan immigrants and urged people not to generalize based on isolated criminal activity.
“Here in South Florida, many Venezuelans are law-abiding residents who contribute meaningfully to our local economy and community,” Gimenez said in a statement. “As I have always said, although all members of the Tren de Aragua criminal organization are Venezuelan, not all Venezuelans are part of Tren de Aragua. We must not allow the actions of a few criminals to define an entire community that overwhelmingly respects our laws and values.”
Meanwhile, Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.), co-chair of the Venezuela Democracy Caucus, said, “Venezuelan TPS holders fled the Maduro regime to build lives in America. They sought refuge in America from his oppression and tyranny,” she said in a statement.
“This atrocious decision allows Trump to deport non-criminals back to the murderous dictatorship. The fight is not over. We must pass my Venezuela TPS Act to keep our community safe.”
Legal expert offers reassurance
Immigration attorney Willy Allen said most Venezuelans who came between March 2021 and August 2023 have already applied for asylum, and those individuals are unlikely to be deported.
“Not to be worried. The vast majority of Venezuelans who came here between March 21, 2021, and August of 2023 have already filed for asylum. So, if you were a Venezuelan and had previously filed an asylum application and you had TPS, you have nothing to worry about,” Allen said.
However, he noted that Venezuelans who lost their asylum cases and have final deportation orders may now be at greater risk as TPS protections roll back.
Economic concerns and labor impact
Laura Kelley, Chair of the Miami-Dade Democratic Party, warned of economic consequences if Venezuelan workers are forced to leave.
“We have people who are working, with papers, who are paying taxes. When we lose those workers, who is going to fill their jobs? If we don’t have people who can fill their jobs-because we do not, because we already have a labor shortage-the prices of goods and services go up,” Kelley said.
