Miami mayor calls on Trump to ‘immediately’ restore TPS for Venezuelans

Miami Mayor Eileen Higgins is calling on the Trump administration to restore Temporary Protected Status, also known as TPS, for Venezuelans following the US military operation that captured the country’s president.

Higgins said Saturday that the Trump administration ending TPS for Venezuelans in early 2025 was “reckless, dangerous and wrong.” She also called on President Trump to “immediately” reinstate TPS for Venezuelans.

Miami has a large population of Venezuelan expats. Higgins was sworn in as mayor last month, becoming the first Democrat to lead the city in about three decades.

“The instability unfolding in Venezuela today makes it even clearer that the country remains unsafe for people to return. No one should be forced to return to chaos and uncertainty,” Higgins wrote in a statement. “They have built lives here, contributed to our community and deserve the security to stay while their homeland regains stability. This is not just a matter of policy – ​​it is a matter of basic human dignity and security.”

The U.S. Supreme Court in May allowed the Trump administration to temporarily strip legal protections from more than 350,000 Venezuelans living in the U.S. under TPS, which protects against deportations and provides work permits to people affected by war, natural disasters and other circumstances.

In October, the Supreme Court granted the government’s request to halt a lower court order blocking the end of TPS protections for Venezuelans — prompting the government to move forward with the termination of the TPS designation for the country.

Homeland Security Sec. Kristi Noem, when asked Sunday about Higgins’ statement, defended the administration ending the program, saying decisions are made in coordination with the State Department and the White House.

“Every individual who was covered by TPS has the opportunity to apply for refugee status and that review will continue, but we must ensure that our programs actually mean something and that we follow the law,” Noem said. during an interview with Fox News.

The Department of Homeland Security also said as much in a social media message later on Sunday: “Secretary Noem ended Temporary Protected Status for more than 500,000 Venezuelans and now they can go home to a country they love.”

At least 7.9 million people have fled the humanitarian crisis in Venezuela, according to the UN United Nations refugee agency UNHCR.