After calls from South Florida leaders to reinstate Temporary Protected Status for Venezuelans following Nicolas Maduro’s capture, the Trump administration is standing by its decision to end the program, with the Secretary of Homeland Security pointing to alternative immigration options.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem addressed the issue Sunday on Fox News, responding to pressure from Miami Mayor Eileen Higgins and others who urged the administration to extend protections for Venezuelans living in the U.S.
“Every individual that was under TPS has the opportunity to apply for refugee status and that evaluation will go forward,” Noem said. “But we need to make sure that our programs actually mean something and that we’re following the law and that’s how that decision with TPS was made.”
South Florida leaders push for TPS reinstatement
The Trump administration officially ended TPS for Venezuelans in November, a move that put hundreds of thousands at risk of deportation.
Mayor Higgins spoke with CBS News Miami on Saturday, calling for immediate action and warning that sending Venezuelans back could be dangerous.
“We need TPS reinstated for our residents, they can not be returning to a country that is in this state,” Higgins said.
Immigration attorney questions refugee alternative
Immigration attorney Wilfredo Allen III said the option cited by the administration does not apply to most Venezuelans already living in the U.S.
“Those people who are already here can’t apply to become refugees because they’re already present within the country,” Allen said. “You can only obtain refugee status if you are currently outside of the United States.”
Allen also pointed to the limited number of refugee admissions available this year, saying it falls far short of the estimated number of Venezuelans affected by the end of TPS.
“Now it’s down to a record low of 7,500 refugees per year,” Allen said. “The majority of those spots have gone to South Africans.”
Allen said it is still too early to predict how the situation will unfold, describing the administration’s recent actions as inconsistent.
“It’s really hard to say what they’re going to do, especially considering the fact that they took away TPS claiming that Venezuela was a safe country on one hand,” he said, “but then on the other we just went into Venezuela, committed a bunch of raids and extradited a president.”
For Venezuelans who previously held TPS, Allen advised taking immediate steps to protect their legal status.
“If you had TPS, apply for asylum if you haven’t yet and consult with a lawyer to try and find other ways to obtain lawful status,” he said.
