With Trump terminating TPS for thousands of Venezuelans, who’s most at risk for deportation?
Since the Trump administration terminated deportation protections for hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans in the United States, the majority of whom live in South Florida, questions have flooded in from Herald readers.
One of the biggest questions: Who is most at risk of being deported since Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem revoked Temporary Protected Status for Venezuela on Saturday? The revocation affects more than 300,000 Venezuelans living and working in the United States who received TPS in 2023, including tens of thousands in South Florida.
Under a Biden-era extension, the Venezuelans had TPS through October 2026. But with this new ruling, TPS protection will end for them on April 7. (Another 250,000 or so Venezuelans who received TPS in 2021 have protections through September, for now.)
Federal officials say they are targeting three main groups, according to attorney John De La Vega, a Miami immigration attorney.:
▪ People with criminal records, considered a danger to the community;
▪ People with ties to terrorism and criminal organizations, considered a danger to national security;
▪ People with a final deportation order of removal
“There are three groups [being focused on,]” De La Vega said. “However, no one safe.”
If U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials are looking for someone with a criminal record and find other undocumented people — none of whom are linked to crime or terrorism — at a workplace or residence, they, too, can be detained, said De La Vega, who has noticed an uptick in these cases in Miami.
De La Vega recommended that people who have TPS that is about to expire “take immediate action” and consult with an immigration attorney. They could be detained and deported, if they do not seek any other legal means to remain in the country, such as through an asylum claim.
“Don’t keep waiting because it may be too late in the future,” De La Vega said.
For Venezuelans in the United States who’ve filed a legal claim for asylum, or who’ve had an immediate relative who is a U.S. citizen — parent, spouse, child over 21, brother or sister — file a petition on their behalf to get a green card, it’s unclear how they would be treated.
Noem’s statement, published in the Federal Register on Saturday, doesn’t break down categories of Venezuelans whose TPS will end on April 7. In fact, her statement is a blanket termination for all Venezuelans who were designated for TPS in 2023:
“After April 7, 2025, nationals of Venezuela (and aliens having no nationality who last habitually resided in Venezuela) who have been granted TPS under the 2023 Venezuela designation will no longer have TPS,” Noem said.
The Miami-Dade County Commission in a Tuesday vote urged the Trump administration to reverse course, joining growing calls from both Republican and Democratic South Florida politicians.
Note: To assist the South Florida community, the Herald is asking readers to share their questions and concerns about immigration policies. Please fill out the form below. What you choose to share will be kept confidential and not published unless a reporter has gotten in touch with you.
This story was originally published February 6, 2025 at 4:34 PM.
