Trump Ends TPS for 256,000 Venezuelans, Deportations to Begin After 60 Days

The Trump administration has announced the termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for more than 256,000 Venezuelans, paving the way for mass deportations.

TPS, first introduced under President Joe Biden in 2021 and expanded in 2023, had provided Venezuelan migrants with work permits and protection from removal.

A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) explained the decision, stating: “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.”

The DHS spokesperson added: “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.”

The current TPS designation will officially expire on September 10, though DHS clarified that the termination will take effect 60 days after its publication in the Federal Register. All pending applications—3,728 new requests and more than 102,000 renewals—will also be canceled.

Authorities announced that Venezuelans who voluntarily register their departure through the CBP Home app will be eligible for a free flight, a $1,000 stipend, and potential future immigration opportunities.

The policy shift follows a Supreme Court ruling granting DHS Secretary Kristi Noem the authority to revoke TPS, despite previous legal challenges. Earlier in April, Trump had already rescinded Biden’s 2023 expansion of the program, which affected 348,000 Venezuelans.

The announcement also came just a day after Trump revealed a U.S. military strike on a Venezuelan drug vessel, which left 11 suspected members of the Tren de Aragua gang dead. “You’ll see that we just, over the last few minutes literally shot out a boat, a drug-carrying boat,” Trump said, warning traffickers: “Please let this serve as notice to anybody even thinking about bringing drugs into the United States of America. BEWARE!”

Meanwhile, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro condemned the U.S. military buildup in the Caribbean, describing it as “an extravagant, unjustifiable, immoral and absolutely criminal and bloody threat.”