The Trump administration has announced it will terminate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for more than 256,000 Venezuelan nationals, paving the way for mass deportations.
Originally granted by President Joe Biden in 2021 and expanded in 2023, TPS allowed eligible Venezuelans to live and work legally in the U.S. while being shielded from removal.
A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) stated: “Considering factors such as public safety, national security, immigration trends, economic impact, and foreign policy, continuing to allow Venezuelan nationals to remain temporarily in the United States is not aligned with America’s best interests.”
The spokesperson further emphasized that Venezuela’s role in driving irregular migration and TPS’s “magnet effect” undermines the Trump administration’s broader efforts to secure the southern border and manage immigration.
TPS protections will officially expire on September 10, but the termination will take effect 60 days after the announcement is published in the Federal Register. All pending applications—including 3,728 new submissions and over 102,000 renewals—will be canceled.
Venezuelans who voluntarily register their departure through the CBP Home app will be eligible for a free flight, a $1,000 incentive, and possible future immigration benefits.
This move follows a Supreme Court decision permitting DHS Secretary Kristi Noem to revoke TPS, despite previous legal hurdles. Trump had already rescinded Biden’s 2023 TPS extension back in April, impacting 348,000 Venezuelans.
The announcement came just one day after Trump ordered a strike on a Venezuelan drug vessel, reportedly killing 11 suspected members of the Tren de Aragua gang. “We just took out a drug boat—literally minutes ago,” Trump said. “Let this be a warning to anyone thinking of trafficking drugs into the United States: BEWARE!
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro condemned the U.S. military actions in the Caribbean, calling them “an extravagant, unjustifiable, immoral, and absolutely criminal and bloody threat.”
