DHS Secretary Noem Ends Temporary Protections for Venezuelans

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem will terminate temporary removal protections for several hundred thousand Venezuelans in the US.

A Temporary Protected Status designation covering nearly 350,000 immigrants from the country was set to expire April 2 after Noem rescinded an extension issued by the Biden administration in January.

In an unpublished Federal Register notice, the Department of Homeland Security found Venezuela no longer meets conditions for a 2023 TPS designation—citing an economic crisis, human rights violations, and high crime levels, among other factors. The notice pointed to improvements in public health, crime, and the economy. Even assuming conditions in the country remained extraordinary, it found that it’s not in the national interest of the US to allow nearly 348,202 Venezuelans covered by the 2023 protections to remain in the country.

The TPS program allows immigrants from designated countries to apply for removal protections and work authorization for up to 18 months when they can’t return home safely because of circumstances like armed conflict or natural disaster. Including an earlier designation, roughly 600,000 total Venezuelans in the US were eligible for the relief.

The government must review conditions at least 60 days before their expiration date to determine whether protections should be renewed.