A federal judge has ordered a halt to any decision on Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Venezuelans, leaving thousands uncertain about their future in the United States.
The ruling comes from U.S. District Judge Edward Chan, the same judge who earlier this year blocked a Trump administration effort to end TPS protections for more than 200,000 Venezuelans. But unless the courts intervene again, thousands remain at risk of losing legal protections starting September 10.
Uncertainty for Venezuelan families
For Venezuelans like Leticia—who asked that her last name not be used—the uncertainty is devastating. She came to the U.S. fleeing repression in her home country and has been working multiple jobs to survive.
“If the U.S. government leaves us without TPS, we won’t be able to stay here,” she said in Spanish. “I’ll live in constant fear, never at peace.”
Judge Chan has said he will not issue a final ruling until the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals decides on a pending federal appeal. That appeals court has previously sided with the government, upholding the termination of TPS for immigrants from Honduras, Nicaragua, and Nepal.
Legal perspectives and lingering fears
Immigration attorney Willie Allen, who has practiced in South Florida for more than 40 years, said the judge’s delay is a temporary shield but not a solution.
“What this judge is doing in California is saying, ‘Right now I’m staying it,'” Allen explained. “Whatever happens, we have to wait until the Ninth Circuit decides on TPS.”
But Allen isn’t optimistic, warning that Venezuelans could soon face the same outcome as other immigrant groups.
Leticia says that possibility feels like discrimination. She works delivering food and doing construction jobs when needed and has also applied for political asylum. But she fears that within weeks, her life could be uprooted again.
“Look, the message we’re getting is: you have to go,” she said.
The federal government continues to warn U.S. citizens against traveling to Venezuela, even offering a $50 million reward for the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro. Yet Venezuelans who sought refuge in the U.S. may now face the possibility of being forced back.
