Trump's week in review: Defense Dept. rebranded; TPS revoking draws ire of Evangelical group
2. Trump admin. revokes Temporary Protected Status for Venezuelans
In a statement on Wednesday, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced that Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem terminated Temporary Protected Status for Venezuelans. TPS allows illegal immigrants from particular countries to remain in the U.S. indefinitely, usually due to natural disasters or exceptionally volatile political conditions.
"Given Venezuela's substantial role in driving irregular migration and the clear magnet effect created by Temporary Protected Status, maintaining or expanding TPS for Venezuelan nationals directly undermines the Trump Administration's efforts to secure our southern border and manage migration effectively," said USCIS spokesman Matthew Tragesser.
"Weighing public safety, national security, migration factors, immigration policy, economic considerations, and foreign policy, it's clear that allowing Venezuelan nationals to remain temporarily in the United States is not in America's best interest."
USCIS said Noem determined that the conditions in Venezuela no longer meet the statutory requirements for TPS, paving the way for the DHS secretary to revoke TPS for Venezuelans.
TPS for Venezuelans will expire on Sept. 10, and beneficiaries of the designation will have 60 days following the termination's publication in the Federal Register to leave the U.S.
The administration's initial termination of TPS for Venezuelans, announced in February, impacted Venezuelans who arrived during the Biden administration. But this latest move mostly impacts individuals who came to the U.S. during Trump's first term, according to the Evangelical refugee resettlement organization World Relief.
World Relief condemned the revocation of TPS for Venezuelans in a statement on Wednesday, warning that Venezuela continues to experience a "profound humanitarian crisis." The organization condemned the Trump administration for sending Venezuelans "into the hands of a dictatorial government that the U.S. does not recognize as legitimate."
Ryan Foley is a reporter for The Christian Post. He can be reached at: ryan.foley@christianpost.com
