By Vanguard Staff
WASHINGTON – Immigrants’ rights advocates are condemning the Trump administration’s termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for more than 240,000 Venezuelans, calling it a devastating escalation of attacks on immigrant communities and urging Congress to pass legislation that includes a pathway to citizenship for TPS holders.
The end of TPS leaves hundreds of thousands vulnerable to detention and deportation to Venezuela, where many face persecution or imprisonment, as well as removal to third countries with which they have no ties. The move also threatens to destabilize U.S. communities where Venezuelan families have built lives, contributed to local economies, and raised children.
Since taking office, the Trump administration has dismantled TPS protections for Afghanistan, Cameroon, Haiti, Honduras, Nepal, Nicaragua, Syria, and now Venezuela. Advocates note that even with ongoing litigation, the administration’s actions have already placed more than 675,000 people at risk of family separation and deportation, marking one of the largest rollbacks of humanitarian protections in U.S. history.
“This moment represents far more than the loss of status for one group of people, it is an inflection point in the Trump administration’s broader effort to attack TPS and other humanitarian protections and put hundreds of thousands of our neighbors at risk of deportation and arrest by masked agents,” said Haddy Gassama, senior policy counsel at the American Civil Liberties Union. “American voters have shown that they deeply object to the administration’s reckless deportation agenda and now is a moment for members of Congress to rally behind them and show real courage. It’s critical that members of Congress mobilize and unite behind legislation that will protect TPS holders and provide a path to citizenship for millions of our neighbors and loved ones who have built lives in communities across the country.”
“Today at midnight, 260,000 Venezuelans will lose their Temporary Protected Status (TPS), joining the 340,000 who already lost it before them. In total, more than 600,000 Venezuelans are being stripped of their legal protection — the largest illegalization of immigrants in U.S. history — turning law-abiding, tax-paying families into subjects of deportation,” said Adelys Ferro, executive director of the Venezuelan American Caucus. “This cruel decision by the Trump administration and supported by the U.S. Supreme Court is not about policy or law; it is about xenophobia, racism, and discrimination. For many, returning to Venezuela under the dictatorship of Nicolás Maduro is simply not an option. Many TPS holders are political refugees, victims of persecution, and pillars of their communities: people who contribute every day to this country. Losing their status means losing stability and hope. This is a painful, devastating, and profoundly unjust act that betrays America’s values and humanity.”
“Venezuelan migrants have become an integral part of our communities—they are our neighbors, co-workers, caregivers, and friends. They deserve to be recognized for their humanity and their many contributions to our society,” said Dulce Guzman, executive director of Alianza Americas. “Yet this administration seems intent on dismantling every humanitarian and legal pathway available for people seeking safety and opportunity. We cannot look away from the terror and separation that families are enduring, nor can we become numb to the cruel ending of programs designed to protect human life and dignity. Ongoing political repression, economic collapse, and widespread human rights violations continue to make Venezuela unsafe for return, warranting the extension of TPS and other protections.”
“The administration’s decision to terminate TPS for Venezuela and other qualified countries is inconsistent with the original intent of Congress in establishing Temporary Protected Status,” said Nils Kinuani, federal policy manager for African Communities Together. “Congress created this program specifically to protect vulnerable populations from unsafe or unstable conditions in their home countries. By moving forward with these terminations, the administration undermines the very purpose of the program and forces individuals back into dangerous conditions.”
“The Trump administration’s termination of TPS for over 240,000 Venezuelans is part of a deliberate agenda to systematically dismantle protections for Black, Brown, and Middle Eastern communities,” said Carolyn Tran, executive director of Communities United for Status & Protection. “Since Trump took office, TPS protections have been stripped from immigrants from Afghanistan, Cameroon, Haiti, Honduras, Nepal, Nicaragua, Syria, Burma, South Sudan, and Venezuela — placing more than 675,000 people at risk of deportation. This is not about policy. This is about a calculated effort to attack immigrants of color. At CUSP, we stand in unwavering solidarity with the Venezuelan TPS community. When one of our communities is attacked, we are all under attack. The same forces threatening Venezuelan families are threatening Haitian, Sudanese, Ethiopian, Syrian, Burmese, Afghan, and Nepali families across the diaspora. Our power lies in our collective resistance and our refusal to be divided. Congress must act now to protect all TPS holders and provide a pathway to citizenship.”
“Today, over 240,000 Venezuelans join the growing community of TPS holders in the U.S. who have been delegalized by this administration, placing them at immediate risk of being separated from their families and deported back to their home country with no regard to their safety or well-being,” said George Escobar, chief of programs and services at CASA. “TPS for so many has been an avenue to build a life here in the U.S., as they were able to work and provide for themselves and their families. The systemic dismantling of the program comes in tandem with the violent xenophobia and racism unleashed by this administration, as brown and black members of our community are targeted by enforcement agents to be removed from our neighborhoods and cities. We will not remain silent as immigrants across the country are in danger and will continue to fight to ensure that all members of our community can prosper.”
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