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CHICAGO — Last year, the Trump administration deported over 13,000 Venezuelans following the revocation of their Temporary Protected Status (TPS). Advocacy groups are urging the government to pause these deportations and restore TPS, at least until the situation in Venezuela stabilizes. However, recent statements from the administration suggest they have no plans to reverse their decision.
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As Venezuelans in the U.S. celebrate the detention of former President Nicolás Maduro, uncertainty looms over the future of those whose legal status has been rescinded. Questions arise about the implications for the hundreds of thousands affected by the loss of their protected status.
Christopher Helt, President of the National Trial Lawyers Immigration Law Section, remarked, “The law is clear. We don’t send people back to face harm. However, there’s a lack of legal protection for Venezuelans since their TPS was removed.”
Approximately 600,000 Venezuelans lost their protected status last year. The administration justified this by claiming conditions in Venezuela had improved, thus making the protection unnecessary. This stance was reiterated by Department of Homeland Security officials over the weekend during an appearance on Fox News.
“They can now return to a hopeful country they love, which is moving towards peace, prosperity, and stability,” stated DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin.
Yet, the question remains whether these migrants will willingly return. An estimated 50,000 Venezuelans have settled in Illinois over the past three years, many arriving after being transported from Texas. Advocates argue that expecting them to leave, even with Maduro’s departure, is unrealistic.
“The first thing we would like to see happen is for deportations to be stopped,” said Luciano Pedota with the Illinois Venezuelan Alliance. “It’s still a very dangerous place. We’re very concerned about how it’s going to play out.”
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The administration implied over the weekend that those who feel their safety is at risk can apply for asylum. The problem is, for most already here, that the time frame for doing that has already passed.
“There are thousands and thousands of Venezuelans who did not file within one year of entering the United States. Why? Because they had TPS. So, for those who want to file now, they are facing a huge uphill battle,” Helt said.
And even those with pending asylum cases are in limbo.
“It’s not the moment. I’m sure some Venezuelans would like to go back, eventually,” Pedota said.
But even as some immigration observers expect judges to begin denying asylum petitions based on a changed situation on the ground in Venezuela, attorneys say policy is changing constantly, and Venezuelans here need to remain up-to-date on all of those changes.
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