The Trump administration has announced it will terminate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for more than 256,000 Venezuelan migrants, opening the way for large-scale deportations.
TPS was first granted under President Joe Biden in 2021 and expanded in 2023, allowing eligible Venezuelans to obtain work permits and protection from removal.
A Department of Homeland Security (DHS) spokesperson said the decision was based on “public safety, national security, migration factors, immigration policy, economic considerations, and foreign policy.” The spokesperson added that TPS had created “a magnet effect” for irregular migration and undermined the Trump administration’s border security efforts.
The protections will formally expire on September 10, but DHS clarified that the termination will take effect 60 days after its notice is published in the Federal Register. Pending applications — including 3,728 new requests and more than 102,000 renewals — will also be canceled.
To encourage voluntary departure, Venezuelans who register their exit through the CBP Home app will be offered free flights, a $1,000 stipend, and possible future immigration opportunities.
The decision follows a Supreme Court ruling that upheld DHS Secretary Kristi Noem’s authority to end TPS despite earlier legal challenges. Trump had already revoked Biden’s 2023 TPS expansion in April, affecting 348,000 Venezuelans.
The announcement also came just a day after Trump confirmed a U.S. military strike on a Venezuelan vessel allegedly carrying drugs, which left 11 suspected members of the Tren de Aragua gang dead. “Please let this serve as notice to anybody even thinking about bringing drugs into the United States of America. BEWARE!” Trump said.
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro condemned the U.S. actions, describing the military buildup in the Caribbean as “an extravagant, unjustifiable, immoral and absolutely criminal threat.”
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