US ends deportation protections for thousands of Venezuelans: report

The move affects more than 300,000 Venezuelans with temporary protected status living in US and could take effect within 2 months

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A group of migrants from Venezuela chat to coordinate their transport after entering the United States from Ciudad Juarez, Mexico through the Paso del Norte bridge in El Paso, Texas on January 20. Photo: AP

Published: 4:10am, 3 Feb 2025Updated: 8:43am, 3 Feb 2025

US President Donald Trump’s administration has terminated deportation relief for hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans in the United States, The New York Times reported on Sunday, citing US government documents that it obtained.

The move affects more than 300,000, or about half, of the 600,000 Venezuelans with temporary protected status (TPS) living in the United States, and could take effect within two months, according to the Times.

Those affected would lose their deportation relief and access to work permits 60 days after the federal government publishes the termination notice, according to the Times. It did not say when the document would be published.

The more than 300,000 Venezuelans had TPS through April, according to the notice reported by the Times. The other half, not impacted by the pending notice, have protections until September.

Trump took office on January 20 vowing to crack down on illegal immigration and humanitarian programmes he says go beyond the intent of US law. He tried to end most TPS enrolment during his first term but was stymied by federal courts.

On Saturday, Trump said Venezuela agreed to accept the return of Venezuelans who entered the United States without legal authorisation. The Venezuelan government did not respond to a request for comment.