Latest news with #VenezuelanAmericanCaucus
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
‘One-way ticket to a dungeon': Venezuelans anxious as Supreme Court weighs TPS decision
Dozens of Venezuelans gathered at El Arepazo, an iconic restaurant in the heart of Doral's Venezuelan community, for a vigil Thursday night in support of deportation protections now under review by the U.S. Supreme Court. The event was organized for the Venezuelan American Caucus to show support for the Venezuelan community on the final day of arguments before the high court in a case that could determine whether Temporary Protected Status for Venezuelans is upheld or revoked. 'Going back would be a one-way ticket to a dungeon or to death,' said Liduzka Aguilera. 'We cannot return. It's simply not safe.' Aguilera, 54, is a TPS holder living in Doral with her family of four. A former criminal attorney in Venezuela, she fled political persecution and arrived in the United States in 2018, where she applied for asylum. In 2021, she and her family were granted TPS. Now, they await a pivotal decision that could determine whether they remain safe or face the threat of being sent back to a country they fear. For her, returning to Venezuela is not just unimaginable — it's a matter of life or death. More than 600,000 Venezuelans hold TPS, making up 66% of the Venezuelan community in the United States of more than 900,000. Over the past two decades, the U.S. has experienced a dramatic surge in its Venezuelan population, driven by a mass exodus from a country devastated by a humanitarian and political crisis. Venezuelans are significantly less likely to be naturalized citizens than immigrants overall: in 2023, only 15% of Venezuelan immigrants had U.S. citizenship, and just 18% of Venezuelans in the United States were born in the U.S., according to the U.S. Census. A lawsuit brought by seven Venezuelans at risk of deportation and the advocacy group National TPS Alliance challenges the Trump administration's attempt to end TPS protections. Filed in federal court in San Francisco in February, the suit claims that the Trump administration's decision to end TPS — which had been extended by the Biden administration — was unlawful, politically driven, and rooted in racial discrimination, part of a larger pattern of targeting non-European, non-white immigrants. The legal fight escalated on May 1, when the administration formally asked the Supreme Court to overturn a March ruling by a federal judge in San Francisco that temporarily blocked the end of TPS for Venezuelans. That decision had come just days before protections were set to expire, potentially stripping hundreds of thousands of their legal status and right to work. READ MORE: Trump administration asks Supreme Court to allow revocation of TPS for Venezuelans Adelys Ferro, executive director of Venezuelan American Caucus, said during Thursday night's vigil that situations like Aguilera's are common in the Venezuelan community. She said that among the Venezuelan TPS holders are many who were politically persecuted, requested asylum after coming to the U.S. years ago, and have their cases are pending. 'With the TPS they finally have a legal status. How would these people return to Venezuela?' she asked. Ferro warned that Venezuelans with pending asylum cases risk being sent back to face imprisonment or even death at the hands of the Nicolás Maduro regime. She stressed the devastating impact mass deportations would have, not just on individuals, but on entire communities. 'They just rescued five Venezuelans from an embassy in Caracas,' Ferro said, echoing the words of Secretary of State Marco Rubio referring to the extraction over the weekend of five opposition leaders who had holed up in the Argentinian embassy in Venezuela. 'Five hostages of the criminal, usurping dictatorship of Maduro,' Ferro added. 'And now, they want to send 600,000 Venezuelans back to that same regime — among them, tens of thousands who are politically persecuted. 'If thousands of Venezuelans are forced to leave the country, cities like Doral would be economically devastated,' she said. 'This city was built by immigrants, especially Venezuelan immigrants. Without them, Doral wouldn't even exist. The cost of losing them is immense, not just in human terms, which is the most important, but economically, for the cities where they live and contribute every day.' READ MORE: Judge stops Trump administration from ending TPS for hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans In their arguments to the Supreme Court, the plaintiffs, represented by the Center for Immigration Law and Policy at UCLA School of Law, the ACLU Foundation of Southern California and the National Day Laborer Organizing Network, emphasized that the lower court had jurisdiction to consider the claims. They pointed to 'unrebutted evidence' showing that the administration's decision was motivated by a. discriminatory mindset. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, they argued, justified the termination using false and inflammatory stereotypes, such as the debunked claim that Venezuela had 'emptied its prisons' to send criminals to the U.S. She publicly associated Venezuelan TPS recipients with 'gang members,' 'dirt bags,' and 'dangerous criminals,' despite data showing they have lower crime rates and higher labor force participation than the general U.S. population. Marisol Silva, 64, arrived in the U.S. in 2021 with her husband. Both are retired and could no longer afford to live in Venezuela, where the collapsing economy made even basic necessities unaffordable. They came to reunite with their daughter, a journalist who fled the country eight years earlier after being persecuted for speaking out against the regime. Silva and her husband became TPS holders in 2023, a protection the Trump administration decided would end in April . However, a ruling by U.S. Circuit Judge Edward Chen extended the deadline, allowing them to remain in the country. Their work permits were granted under their pending asylum case, but the uncertainty surrounding their deportation status, she said, remains excruciating. In Venezuela, she added, they were affiliated with one of the country's largest opposition parties, making the prospect of a forced return especially dangerous. They are among nearly 350,000 Venezuelans who received TPS in 2023 and were at risk of losing the protection last month. Another 257,000 Venezuelans who were granted TPS in 2021 are facing a similar threat, with their protections scheduled to expire in September. Thursday's vigils were held in at least 15 cities nationwide — from Spokane, Washington, to San Juan and New York and Chicago — but the largest demonstrations took place in Florida, home to the country's largest Venezuelan population. In Doral, Orlando, and Jacksonville, communities came together in emotional displays of solidarity, urging the courts to preserve the protections that have allowed them to build lives in the U.S. Venezuelan Americans gathered to show support for their community regardless of immigration status. Many have family members still fighting for protection, including loved ones without legal status. Carol Quintero, 70, is one of them. Her husband, 71, who lost his legal status decades ago, was finally able to regain a measure of security through TPS. But that relief is fragile. 'I feel anxious all the time,' she said. 'I've had panic attacks just thinking about what would happen if he lost his protection. He could be deported at any moment.' Quintero said. Cecilia Herrera, the only plaintiff in the San Francisco case from Florida and a resident of Kissimmee, told the Herald from Orlando that the gathering there was an expression of the community's resilience and a call for justice.'I know it's crucial for us to come together and show both the government and the Supreme Court that our lives are at stake,' she said. 'We are not here just as TPS holders — we are mothers, fathers, workers, and active members of our communities who contribute to this country's progress' Herrera said. 'We are here today to send a clear message: We will not give up our fight for the right to live with dignity and without fear.' The stakes at the Supreme Court extend beyond the Venezuelan community. If the court rules in favor of the administration, it could set a sweeping precedent that limits judicial oversight of TPS decisions, affecting hundreds of thousands of immigrants from countries like Haiti, El Salvador and Nicaragua and conflict zones including Ukraine and Afghanistan. 'If the Supreme Court ruled that the judge doesn't have the jurisdiction to overrule the secretary's order, that would set a terrible and defining precedent for 17 countries with TPS and for other immigration processes as well', said Ferro. 'It would mean that a federal judge can't stop, even temporarily, a decision by the Secretary of Homeland Security. It would be devastating.' In its 41-page brief to the court, the administration argued that immigration policy decisions—such as whether to extend or terminate TPS—fall squarely within the authority of the executive branch. Solicitor General John Sauer told the court that judicial interference could undermine the 'flexible, fast-paced and discretionary' nature of immigration enforcement. Despite the administration's claim that continued TPS protection for Venezuelans is 'contrary to the national interest,' critics argue that revoking it amid Venezuela's ongoing humanitarian crisis is both inhumane and unjustified. 'I feel unprotected. But I've talked to my husband. If TPS is revoked, we won't leave. We'll wait for our asylum hearing,' Silva said. 'I still have hope that one day we will see a free Venezuela. But until that day comes, we simply cannot go back.'
Miami Herald
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Miami Herald
‘One-way ticket to a dungeon': Venezuelans anxious as Supreme Court weighs TPS decision
Dozens of Venezuelans gathered at El Arepazo, an iconic restaurant in the heart of Doral's Venezuelan community, for a vigil Thursday night in support of deportation protections now under review by the U.S. Supreme Court. The event was organized for the Venezuelan American Caucus to show support for the Venezuelan community on the final day of arguments before the high court in a case that could determine whether Temporary Protected Status for Venezuelans is upheld or revoked. 'Going back would be a one-way ticket to a dungeon or to death,' said Liduzka Aguilera. 'We cannot return. It's simply not safe.' Aguilera, 54, is a TPS holder living in Doral with her family of four. A former criminal attorney in Venezuela, she fled political persecution and arrived in the United States in 2018, where she applied for asylum. In 2021, she and her family were granted TPS. Now, they await a pivotal decision that could determine whether they remain safe or face the threat of being sent back to a country they fear. For her, returning to Venezuela is not just unimaginable — it's a matter of life or death. More than 600,000 Venezuelans hold TPS, making up 66% of the Venezuelan community in the United States of more than 900,000. Over the past two decades, the U.S. has experienced a dramatic surge in its Venezuelan population, driven by a mass exodus from a country devastated by a humanitarian and political crisis. Venezuelans are significantly less likely to be naturalized citizens than immigrants overall: in 2023, only 15% of Venezuelan immigrants had U.S. citizenship, and just 18% of Venezuelans in the United States were born in the U.S., according to the U.S. Census. A lawsuit brought by seven Venezuelans at risk of deportation and the advocacy group National TPS Alliance challenges the Trump administration's attempt to end TPS protections. Filed in federal court in San Francisco in February, the suit claims that the Trump administration's decision to end TPS — which had been extended by the Biden administration — was unlawful, politically driven, and rooted in racial discrimination, part of a larger pattern of targeting non-European, non-white immigrants. The legal fight escalated on May 1, when the administration formally asked the Supreme Court to overturn a March ruling by a federal judge in San Francisco that temporarily blocked the end of TPS for Venezuelans. That decision had come just days before protections were set to expire, potentially stripping hundreds of thousands of their legal status and right to work. READ MORE: Trump administration asks Supreme Court to allow revocation of TPS for Venezuelans Adelys Ferro, executive director of Venezuelan American Caucus, said during Thursday night's vigil that situations like Aguilera's are common in the Venezuelan community. She said that among the Venezuelan TPS holders are many who were politically persecuted, requested asylum after coming to the U.S. years ago, and have their cases are pending. 'With the TPS they finally have a legal status. How would these people return to Venezuela?' she asked. Ferro warned that Venezuelans with pending asylum cases risk being sent back to face imprisonment or even death at the hands of the Nicolás Maduro regime. She stressed the devastating impact mass deportations would have, not just on individuals, but on entire communities. 'They just rescued five Venezuelans from an embassy in Caracas,' Ferro said, echoing the words of Secretary of State Marco Rubio referring to the extraction over the weekend of five opposition leaders who had holed up in the Argentinian embassy in Venezuela. 'Five hostages of the criminal, usurping dictatorship of Maduro,' Ferro added. 'And now, they want to send 600,000 Venezuelans back to that same regime — among them, tens of thousands who are politically persecuted. 'If thousands of Venezuelans are forced to leave the country, cities like Doral would be economically devastated,' she said. 'This city was built by immigrants, especially Venezuelan immigrants. Without them, Doral wouldn't even exist. The cost of losing them is immense, not just in human terms, which is the most important, but economically, for the cities where they live and contribute every day.' READ MORE: Judge stops Trump administration from ending TPS for hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans In their arguments to the Supreme Court, the plaintiffs, represented by the Center for Immigration Law and Policy at UCLA School of Law, the ACLU Foundation of Southern California and the National Day Laborer Organizing Network, emphasized that the lower court had jurisdiction to consider the claims. They pointed to 'unrebutted evidence' showing that the administration's decision was motivated by a. discriminatory mindset. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, they argued, justified the termination using false and inflammatory stereotypes, such as the debunked claim that Venezuela had 'emptied its prisons' to send criminals to the U.S. She publicly associated Venezuelan TPS recipients with 'gang members,' 'dirt bags,' and 'dangerous criminals,' despite data showing they have lower crime rates and higher labor force participation than the general U.S. population. Vigils in 15 cities Marisol Silva, 64, arrived in the U.S. in 2021 with her husband. Both are retired and could no longer afford to live in Venezuela, where the collapsing economy made even basic necessities unaffordable. They came to reunite with their daughter, a journalist who fled the country eight years earlier after being persecuted for speaking out against the regime. Silva and her husband became TPS holders in 2023, a protection the Trump administration decided would end in April . However, a ruling by U.S. Circuit Judge Edward Chen extended the deadline, allowing them to remain in the country. Their work permits were granted under their pending asylum case, but the uncertainty surrounding their deportation status, she said, remains excruciating. In Venezuela, she added, they were affiliated with one of the country's largest opposition parties, making the prospect of a forced return especially dangerous. They are among nearly 350,000 Venezuelans who received TPS in 2023 and were at risk of losing the protection last month. Another 257,000 Venezuelans who were granted TPS in 2021 are facing a similar threat, with their protections scheduled to expire in September. Thursday's vigils were held in at least 15 cities nationwide — from Spokane, Washington, to San Juan and New York and Chicago — but the largest demonstrations took place in Florida, home to the country's largest Venezuelan population. In Doral, Orlando, and Jacksonville, communities came together in emotional displays of solidarity, urging the courts to preserve the protections that have allowed them to build lives in the U.S. Venezuelan Americans gathered to show support for their community regardless of immigration status. Many have family members still fighting for protection, including loved ones without legal status. Carol Quintero, 70, is one of them. Her husband, 71, who lost his legal status decades ago, was finally able to regain a measure of security through TPS. But that relief is fragile. 'I feel anxious all the time,' she said. 'I've had panic attacks just thinking about what would happen if he lost his protection. He could be deported at any moment.' Quintero said. Cecilia Herrera, the only plaintiff in the San Francisco case from Florida and a resident of Kissimmee, told the Herald from Orlando that the gathering there was an expression of the community's resilience and a call for justice.'I know it's crucial for us to come together and show both the government and the Supreme Court that our lives are at stake,' she said. 'We are not here just as TPS holders — we are mothers, fathers, workers, and active members of our communities who contribute to this country's progress' Herrera said. 'We are here today to send a clear message: We will not give up our fight for the right to live with dignity and without fear.' The stakes at the Supreme Court extend beyond the Venezuelan community. If the court rules in favor of the administration, it could set a sweeping precedent that limits judicial oversight of TPS decisions, affecting hundreds of thousands of immigrants from countries like Haiti, El Salvador and Nicaragua and conflict zones including Ukraine and Afghanistan. 'If the Supreme Court ruled that the judge doesn't have the jurisdiction to overrule the secretary's order, that would set a terrible and defining precedent for 17 countries with TPS and for other immigration processes as well', said Ferro. 'It would mean that a federal judge can't stop, even temporarily, a decision by the Secretary of Homeland Security. It would be devastating.' In its 41-page brief to the court, the administration argued that immigration policy decisions—such as whether to extend or terminate TPS—fall squarely within the authority of the executive branch. Solicitor General John Sauer told the court that judicial interference could undermine the 'flexible, fast-paced and discretionary' nature of immigration enforcement. Despite the administration's claim that continued TPS protection for Venezuelans is 'contrary to the national interest,' critics argue that revoking it amid Venezuela's ongoing humanitarian crisis is both inhumane and unjustified. 'I feel unprotected. But I've talked to my husband. If TPS is revoked, we won't leave. We'll wait for our asylum hearing,' Silva said. 'I still have hope that one day we will see a free Venezuela. But until that day comes, we simply cannot go back.'
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Latinx Voters Say Trump Fooled Them, But Don't Expect Black Twitter to Care... Anymore
It's too late to get their money back, but Latinx voters are expressing buyer's remorse after electing President Donald Trump. More than half of Latinx voters confidently casted their ballots for him, and after just 108 days of Trump back in the White House, folks are having regrets... but it's way too late! Since Trump's return, mass deportations have disproportionately shaken Hispanic communities nationwide. Recent news of Trump rescinding the Temporary Protected Status for hundreds of thousands of Venezuelan migrants was immediately met with backlash within the Latinx community, who thought they'd be protected from Trump's onslaught of attacks on migrants. Adelys Ferro, the director of the Venezuelan American Caucus, told NPR he feels 'beyond betrayed' by the administration. 'They used us,' Ferro said, and he's not the only one. The Atlanta Journal Constitution reported on a family of MAGA Latinos who tearfully shared how their son was taken to an ICE detention center despite him having a green card. But while many in the Latinx community continue to express their disbelief for Trump's actions, Black people are sitting back like 'we told you so.' On X, @NaClyCem, pointed out how Black Americans warned their Latinx brothers and sisters 'Trump is racist and is going to deport anyone who is not the right color. Latinos should not support him,' but not enough people listened. Black people, in fact, began warning about Trump over a decade ago. In 2015, the Latinx community found its way at the center of the immigration debate after Trump repeatedly villainized Hispanic migrants. But despite the president targeting 'rapists' and 'terrorist gang members' coming from across the Southern border, thousands of Latinx voters still sang along to 'I will vote for Donald Trump' jingles at rallies before showing up and out for Trump... twice. Now, Trump is honoring his self-proclaimed 'mandate' to tackle immigration, and in response, thousands of protestors continue to flood the streets— many in cities with majority Latinx populations like San Antonio and Miami, according to Texas Public Radio and the Miami Herald. Tensions only rose more after stories of folks like Kilmar Abrego Garcia made national headlines. Garcia was arrested and deported to El Salvador, despite a judge's 2019 order barring him from being sent there, according to NBC News. The Trump administration continues to claim Garcia is an active member of a dangerous gang, but a different judge ordered his return back to the states. Trump refuses to do so. Many in the Black community empathize with stories like Garcia's. @Biz4Ever tweeted, 'Because many of us have been falsely accused & sentenced but not released, we actually can relate more to Kilmar Abrego Garcia' compared to Trump, who claimed to relate to Black folks after being convicted on 34 felonies. But on the other side, most folks aren't as concerned considering the 51 percent of pro-Trump Latinx voters, according to exit polls. @notcapnamerica asked, 'What are we supposed to do with this information,' referring to the AJC's article. @DrAlbertUtd responded, 'We used all our empathy when we voted for the women that wouldn't have done this,' referencing former Vice President Kamala Harris. Is the Black community heartless for this so-called 'lack of empathy?' No, but they are frustrated not only with Trump but also with the Latino people who put him back in office, against their own interests. The president has a 'deport now and ask questions later' motto, and unfortunately, the Latinx community will likely continue to bear the brunt of it. For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump's Latino Supporters Are Having Buyer's Remorse
A woman hoods a sign expressing Latino support for Trump on April 28, 2016, in Costa Mesa, California. Credit - David McNew—AFP/Getty Images 'Beyond betrayal.' Those are the words that Adelys Ferro, director of the Venezuelan American Caucus, said in February, after the Trump Administration announced they would end temporary protected status (TPS) for almost 600,000 Venezuelans living in the U.S. And betrayed they should feel. Naturalized Venezuelans were crucial in Donald Trump's re-taking of Miami-Dade county—prompting Florida Democrats to call it a 'day of reckoning.' The city of Doral alone (also known as Doralzuela, because of its massive Venezuelan community), voted for Trump to the tune of 61%—Hillary Clinton had carried this Florida municipality in 2016 with 68%. A complete flip of the script. In 2024, Trump made gains all over the U.S. with Hispanic voters, mostly Hispanic men. Puerto Ricans helped him secure Pennsylvania, and he even improved with Cubans, already overwhelmingly Republican. He didn't trick anyone. His stance on immigration was, and is, draconic. He stood by as his supporters demonized and humiliated Latinos of every origin. 'When I talked about the border, you know who the biggest fans of that were? (They) were the Hispanics, Latinos,' Trump said at a rally in Miami in November 2022, days before announcing his second White House bid. 'Everybody said, 'Oh, he's going to hurt himself with Hispanics.' Actually, it turned out to be the exact opposite.' Read More on Trump's 100 Days and Immigration: How America Became Afraid of the Other by Viet Thanh Nguyẽn It begs the question: Are Latinos OK with what has proved a scorched-earth approach against big segments of the Hispanic community, just three months into his presidency? Or are there signs of regret—of buyer's remorse? The jury is still out. 'The Hispanic Voter' is not a monolith, and so the answer varies. The most overtly targeted community, Venezuelans, seem to be taking a turn. Many supported Trump because of their collective allergy toward anything remotely lefty—seeing Hugo Chávez or his successor Nicolás Maduro's shadow on Kamala Harris. They held onto the hope that Trump would somehow oust the leftist autocrat (some dreaming of Marines storming the Venezuelan presidential palace). What a rude awakening when the first overture toward Maduro's regime was a warm diplomatic meeting, negotiating for the release of six imprisoned Americans. A few days later, in early February, Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem announced the first round of termination of TPS protections for Venezuelans, citing 'notable improvements in… the economy, public health, and crime that allow for these nationals to be safely returned to their home country.' The idea that the country is now safer for exiles to return—after Maduro stole an election and became even more repressive—is both a lie, and an insult to Venezuelans' intelligence. The Trump Administration has started on Cubans as well. In March, Trump ended a 'parole' program (established by Joe Biden) that allowed over 100,000 Cubans to live and work in the U.S. A much more established, and powerful, voting block for Republicans, it makes the move a head-scratcher. The Administration is banking on older Cubans' strong anti-immigrant sentiment, and, for now, it may be panning out. The reactions have been tepid so far. But there seems to be a concerted effort to begin deporting Cubans en-masse, with hundreds of them being detained, or given deportation orders, during previously routine immigration check-ins. What will happen when the Cuban community starts to feel these losses in earnest? When it starts to affect their own families, or their businesses? The Trump Administration is gambling here with a vital Republican constituency in Florida. And then we have the shocking, stomach churning, and legally complex deportations to El Salvador's maximum-security prison, Centro de Confinamiento del Terrorismo (CECOT). In a bizarre invocation of a 1700's law, Trump has deported, without due process, hundreds of immigrants, not to their home country, but to El Salvador. He's suggested that American citizens (he calls them 'the homegrowns') are next. We already know that some were sent in error, like Kilmar Abrego Garcia; or were not associated with gang activity, like Andry José Hernández Romero, a gay hairdresser with no criminal record. They, among others, are now living in the most dehumanizing conditions imaginable, with the real possibility of never getting out again. As footage of these cruel and unusual deportations have flooded American media, it will certainly put to the test Trump's theory that Latinos love him because of his iron fist on immigration. Read More on Trump's 100 Days and Immigration: How the U.S. Betrayed International Students by Susan Thomas The last piece of the puzzle is the economy—Trump's economic message is the reason many pundits credit him for his gains with Hispanic males. The Administration would love to believe that they are now part of his base, but a detailed analysis of voting records carried out by POLITICO seems to indicate otherwise. In 2024 Latinos were disproportionately more likely to 'split the ticket'—voting for Trump and Democratic candidates down the ballot. It should give Republicans pause, and light a fire in Democrats looking to re-gain losses. It will not help Republicans that Trump's trade wars have proven disastrous, and that Latinos, who generally earn less than other communities, will be most affected by rising prices. Combine this with the worry from Latino business owners of how Trump's mass deportations will affect their workforce—millions of Latinos, documented or not, are vital for the smooth operation of huge industries like farming, construction, and retail—and you've got a bitter recipe brewing for a Republican Party hoping to protect their gains with the Hispanic vote. The reckoning will come in November 2026, during the mid-terms. Two things seem to be clear. One, the days of taking the Hispanic vote for granted are over—Democrats will have to get away from identity politics alone and focus on real issues, starting with the economy. Two, Republicans will have to answer for the mayhem created in Trump's first two years on their own, without Trump's magnetism at the top of the ticket. Latino-heavy districts will be under a microscope, and a new Pew Research Center poll show Hispanics widely disapprove of Trump's performance so far (72%, the highest disapproval rating behind Black Americans). But these are just numbers. The only way to measure how much Latinos regret their part in bringing Trump to power will be at the ballot box. Contact us at letters@
CBS News
17-04-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Rubio endorses ending TPS for Venezuelans, drawing outcry from advocates
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio recommended the termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for approximately 600,000 Venezuelans living in the United States, according to an internal letter sent to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. "The U.S. Department of State has assessed that permitting nationals of Venezuela to remain temporarily in the United States under 8 U.S.C. 1254a is contrary to the national interest of the United States," Rubio wrote in the January 31 letter. "Accordingly, I recommend that you terminate the designation of Venezuela pursuant to 8 U.S.C. 1254a(b)(3)(A)-(B)." The letter came to light during a federal court case in which Venezuelan advocacy groups, including the Venezuelan American Caucus, sued the Department of Homeland Security in an effort to maintain the protections granted under the Biden administration in January. The Trump administration appealed the decision and the Rubio letter surfaced as part of the government's filings. "I am not surprised but still painful and impactful and shocking," said Adelys Ferro, a Venezuelan activist and founder of the Venezuelan American Caucus, in an interview with CBS News Miami. Ferro's group is one of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit seeking to extend TPS for 18 more months. "This is Secretary of State Marco Rubio, former Senator Marco Rubio, former TPS sponsor for Venezuelans Marco Rubio in 2019, who supported the courage of the Venezuelan people," Ferro said, expressing dismay at what she described as a stunning policy reversal. In March 2022, Rubio had urged the Biden administration to extend TPS protections for Venezuelans, citing the ongoing crisis under Nicolás Maduro's regime. Now, as Secretary of State, Rubio's recommendation would end those protections, regardless of when individuals applied. "It is painful, but I think it is very revealing and I think we are finally knowing and discovering the real support that some elected officials do for us in the United States," Ferro added. CBS News Miami contacted Rubio's office for comment, but no response was received.
