Venezuelans' Status Revoked

The Supreme Court approved the Trump administration’s emergency request to revoke Venezuelans' temporary protected status yesterday. The decision clears the way for the Department of Homeland Security to begin deporting nearly 350,000 people, pending individual appeals.

Since 1990, the TPS program has allowed the federal government to extend legal status and work permits to people from countries experiencing war, natural disaster, or other crises. The protections are intended to end when conditions improve. The Biden administration first granted Venezuelans TPS in 2021, when over 5 million people fled President Nicolás Maduro’s regime and inflation approached 3,000%. Roughly 3 million people have since continued to flee; inflation cooled to double digits last year. A US travel advisory to Venezuela remains in effect.

Yesterday’s decision applies to those who received TPS in 2023 when the Biden administration extended the program. The 2021 cohort is expected to see protections expire later this year.