DHS says Venezuelans can now apply for refugee status in US following Maduro’s ouster, 600,000 face deportation risk

Venezuelans in the US under Temporary Protected Status can now apply for refugee status, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said on Sunday after TPS for the country ended.

Speaking on Fox News Sunday, Noem defended the Trump administration’s decision to end the Biden-era TPS designation for Venezuelans, arguing that the measure ensures US immigration programs follow the law. “Venezuela today is more free than it was yesterday,” she said.




She added: “Every individual that was under TPS has the opportunity to apply for refugee status. We need to make sure that our programs actually mean something, and that we’re following the law.”

Noem’s comments come after the US military captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. She said that US wants a Venezuelan leader who is going to partner with America against drug trafficking and terrorism.

Roughly 600,000 Venezuelans legally residing in the US under TPS now face potential deportation to a country whose government remains unstable. Noem said that those affected can now seek refugee status. She said that the termination of TPS was first introduced in 2021 under the Biden administration and was a nationwide decision after the designation was deemed “contrary to the US national interest.”

The move stirred a row, particularly in Florida, which is home to over half of Venezuelan TPS holders. Miami Mayor Eileen Higgins called the revocation “reckless, dangerous, and wrong,” urging the administration to reinstate protections.

Some Venezuelans celebrated Maduro’s ouster in Miami, while others remained at home, fearing immigration raids. Adelys Ferro of the Venezuelan-American Caucus said, “We are victims of the Nicolás Maduro regime, but we are also victims of the Trump administration policies.”

What is Temporary Protected Status (TPS)?

Temporary Protected Status (TPS) is a US immigration program that allows nationals from certain countries experiencing armed conflict, natural disasters, or other harsh conditions to live and work in in US temporarily. It was created in 1990 under the Immigration Act of 1990.

TPS does not provide a path to permanent residency or citizenship. The designation is reviewed and can be extended or terminated by DHS.

Under the Trump administration’s order, Venezuelans stripped of TPS can now use refugee status as a legal pathway to remain in US, but still face deportation risk.