Trump to deport more than 250,000 migrants protected by Biden
The Trump administration is set to terminate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for over 256,000 Venezuelans, paving the way for deportations.
This designation, initially granted by President Joe Biden in 2021 and expanded in 2023, provided eligible migrants with work permits and protection from removal.
A spokesperson from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) stated: “Considering public safety, national security, migration factors, immigration policy, economic implications, and foreign policy, it is evident that permitting Venezuelan nationals to remain temporarily in the United States is not in the best interest of America.”
The spokesperson further remarked: “Given Venezuela’s significant contribution to irregular migration and the evident magnet effect created by Temporary Protected Status, the maintenance or expansion of TPS for Venezuelan nationals directly contradicts the Trump Administration’s initiatives to secure our southern border and manage migration effectively.”
TPS is set to expire on September 10, although DHS indicated that “the termination will take effect 60 days following the publication of the Federal Register notice.”
Pending applications—3,728 new submissions and over 102,000 renewals—will also be annulled.
Venezuelans who register their departure using the CBP Home app will be offered a complimentary flight, a $1,000 incentive, and potential future immigration prospects.
This action follows a Supreme Court ruling that permits DHS Secretary Kristi Noem to revoke TPS despite previous legal challenges. Trump had already rescinded Biden’s 2023 TPS order in April, impacting 348,000 Venezuelans.
The announcement also came a day after Trump declared a U.S. strike on a drug vessel from Venezuela, resulting in the deaths of 11 suspected members of Tren de Aragua. “You’ll see that we just, over the last few minutes, literally shot out a boat, a drug-carrying boat,” Trump warned traffickers: “Please let this serve as notice to anyone even contemplating bringing drugs into the United States of America. BEWARE!”
Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro denounced the military escalation by the U.S. in the Caribbean, describing it as "an extravagant, unjustifiable, immoral, and entirely criminal and violent threat."
