The Trump administration has revoked Temporary Protection Status (TPS) for roughly 300,000 Venezuelans living in the US. The move paves the way for border agents to deport people who’ve fled the South American nation in recent years for the US. The order affects Venezuelans who came to the US in 2023. Conservatives have spoken out against the TPS program. They say it has allowed migrants to remain in the US for longer than it should. TPS was passed by Congress in 1990. It provides temporary shelter for people fleeing danger in their home countries. That danger is sometimes due to natural disasters. Other times, it's due to armed conflict. TPS was first offered to Salvadorans. At the time, they were fleeing civil war. Nearly 7.7 million Venezuelans have fled the turmoil under the regime of Nicolás Maduro. He came to power in 2013. Maduro’s regime has been accused of torture. Some say it has even killed thousands of prisoners. The US also called his re-election last July a fraud. The US said Edmundo González was the rightful winner. Trump won the 2024 election in part based on his promise to deport millions of undocumented immigrants. His main target is people from Latin American nations. Trump wrote on social media that Venezuela had agreed to accept its "illegal aliens who were encamped in the US.” He said Venezuela would “supply the transportation." About 250,000 Venezuelans in the US from 2021 still have TPS. That status expires in September. They appear to be in danger of deportation once that status ends. Reflect: What do you think makes a country welcoming or unwelcoming to newcomers? Photo of a Venezuelan woman hugging her daughter from Reuters.
