The Trump administration has officially revoked Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for more than 600,000 Venezuelan migrants, ending the protections granted under the Biden administration.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem confirmed the move during an interview on Wednesday morning, stating that the administration was reversing a last-minute extension of TPS issued by former DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas before leaving office.
“Before he left town, Mayorkas signed an order that said for 18 months, they were going to extend protection to people on Temporary Protected Status, which meant they were going to be able to stay here and violate our laws for another 18 months,” Noem said. “We stopped that.”
.@Sec_Noem: "Before he left town, Mayorkas signed an order that said for 18 months, they were going to extend protection to people on Temporary Protected Status, which meant they were going to be able to stay here and violate our laws for another 18 months. We stopped that." pic.twitter.com/G1fyP4qA9f
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) January 29, 2025
She added that the administration will review and evaluate all individuals currently in the country under TPS protections, including Venezuelans.
Noem also revealed that the White House is in active discussions with foreign governments to ensure the deportation of migrants back to their home countries.
“The President clearly will exercise all the authority and power that he has to make these countries take them back,” she said.
When asked about the possibility of using Guantanamo Bay in Cuba as a detention facility for migrants, Noem said the administration is considering all options.
“We’re evaluating and talking about that right now. The President will make the final decision, but it’s an asset, and we’re going to continue to look at how we can use all of our assets to keep America safe.”
TPS is a humanitarian program that provides temporary legal status and work authorization to nationals of countries experiencing armed conflict, natural disasters, or other extraordinary conditions that make it unsafe for them to return home.
Venezuelans were first granted TPS in March 2021 due to the ongoing political, economic, and humanitarian crisis under socialist dictator Nicolás Maduro.
During his first term, Trump took a hardline stance against Maduro’s regime, imposing strict economic sanctions and at one point even suggesting military intervention to remove him from power.
While the Biden administration extended TPS protections for Venezuelans, Trump’s decision to revoke them signals a return to his tough-on-immigration policies.
The move is expected to impact hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans, many of whom have historically supported Trump, citing their opposition to socialism and their concerns over border security and immigration enforcement.