Latest news with #CasadeVenezuelaMinnesota
Yahoo
10-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Venezuelans in Minnesota, targeted by Trump immigration orders, will see legal status expire
Johann Teran is among the Venezuelans living in Minnesota who is likely to see his legal status expire. Photo by Madison McVan/Minnesota Reformer. When Johann Teran's plane touched down in Miami in May, the clock started ticking. Teran, a lawyer from Barquisimeto, Venezuela, would be allowed to work in the U.S. for two years after the date of his arrival under a Biden administration initiative called humanitarian parole for migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela. Nearly 8 million Venezuelans have left their home country in recent years, fleeing the nation's collapsed economy, repressive government and widespread crime. After a short stint in Florida, Teran moved to Minneapolis and found work as a legal assistant at a downtown law firm. His wife stayed behind in Venezuela, waiting to hear if her application for humanitarian parole would also be accepted. It won't. On his first day in office, President Donald Trump ordered the immediate termination of Biden-era humanitarian parole initiatives. And, on Feb. 1, U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem canceled Temporary Protected Status for Venezuelans, which provides Venezuelan nationals already in the U.S. with work permits and protection from deportation. Venezuelans are just one of the immigrant groups targeted by Trump in his first week of office, as the president makes good on his campaign promises to ramp up deportations and slow the entry of immigrants into the country. Now, faced with the end of their deportation protections and work permissions, Venezuelan immigrants will have to choose one of the following options: return to their home country, still reeling from economic collapse and plagued by political violence and organized crime; find another country to seek refuge in; pursue other avenues to legal status in the U.S., which are often difficult to qualify for; or remain in the country without authorization. Temporary Protected Status for one group of Venezuelans expires in April; another round is set to expire in September, and is unlikely to be renewed. While it's difficult to get an accurate count of the number of Venezuelans who have relocated to Minnesota in recent years, it's clear that the population has grown significantly. More than 117,000 Venezuelans have immigrated to the U.S. via humanitarian parole since the initiation of the program in 2023, and at least 344,000 Venezuelans are protected from deportation by TPS. (Some people qualify for both humanitarian parole and TPS.) Luciano Carrero is president of Casa de Venezuela Minnesota, a nonprofit organization that advocates for Venezuelans. He's been fielding questions from community members attempting to understand what the revocation of humanitarian parole and TPS means. Carrero and his colleagues at Casa de Venezuela sent a letter to U.S. Rep. Tom Emmer this week pleading with him to find a legislative solution that would allow Venezuelans to stay in the U.S. Venezuelans protected by TPS always knew that the status was temporary and could be revoked, Carrero said. To immigrate and live in the U.S. under TPS was a 'calculated risk,' he said in Spanish. Temporary Protected Status is extended to people from countries where ongoing conflicts, environmental disasters or other extenuating circumstances make a country unsafe to return to. The situation in Venezuela has devolved in the last year, said Guillermo Gorrín, a Venezuelan-born political scientist and human rights expert living in Minnesota. In July, a sham election sparked massive protests and a violent crackdown by the regime of Nicolás Maduro. 'They're persecuting everyone,' Gorrín said, even children and innocent bystanders. The move to end deportation protections could backfire on Trump. Gorrín pointed out that Trump is giving Maduro leverage — Maduro could refuse deportation flights in exchange for concessions on tariffs, oil licenses and the loosening of economic sanctions. Last week, however, Trump said Maduro's government agreed to accept all deportees, including members of the highly publicized Tren del Aragua gang. Kicking out lots of immigrants could also damage the American economy: Undocumented immigrants alone paid $97 billion in taxes in 2022, including $34 billion towards social services that undocumented people do not qualify for. Mass deportations — if executed to the extent Trump has promised — would exacerbate the workforce shortage and lead to an estimated GDP loss of 4-7%, on par with the Great Recession. Teran said he plans to stay for as long as his humanitarian parole lasts — until 2026, according to his papers — while pursuing other avenues for legal status. He hopes to also find a legal path for his wife to join him, he said. He moved to the Twin Cities because he heard there were better job opportunities and support for immigrants than what was available in Miami — and he's happy with the decision.
CBS News
08-02-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Minnesota advocacy group seeks help from Rep. Tom Emmer in extending Temporary Protection Status
OTSEGO, Minn. — A Minnesota organization is asking Congressman Tom Emmer for his help in extending the deadline to allow thousands of Venezuelan's stay in the U.S. The deadline for their Temporary Protective Status (TPS) is April 7. If the deadline isn't moved, people would lose the right to work and could be deported. "Maduro's government tried to kill me," said Lucieno Carrero, the president of the advocacy group Casa de Venezuela Minnesota. That's the short answer to why Venezuelan firefighter Carrero moved here in 2018, fleeing the authoritative government led since 2013 by President Nicolas Maduro. During his time in power, Maduro has canceled recall efforts against him, and claims he won the most recent election last year without evidence. "It's a super complicated question," Carrero added. On Friday, members of the group gathered at Emmer's office in hopes of getting Temporary Protective Status' for Venezuelans who moved to Minnesota in 2023 extended. The Trump Administration is set to end the status in less than 60 days. Casa de Venezuela says more than seven million people have left Venezuela and the influx of individuals coming to the Land of 10,000 Lakes is increasing every single day. "Our community could lose a doctor, a lawyer, a pretty good friend, neighbor and hard worker," said Carrero. Carrero says Emmer understands the situation. "I'm pretty sure he knows the hurt and the fear and the soul of our community," Carrero said. That community is just wishing their situation was different. "We lost our country," said Carrero. "The people right now feel scared." The group left a letter with Emmer's office. He was unable to talk with WCCO on Friday.
