HAITIAN BRIDGE ALLIANCE CONDEMNS TRUMP ADMINISTRATION’S TERMINATION OF TEMPORARY PROTECTED STATUS (TPS) FOR VENEZUELANS

HAITIAN BRIDGE ALLIANCE CONDEMNS TRUMP ADMINISTRATION'S TERMINATION OF TEMPORARY PROTECTED STATUS (TPS) FOR VENEZUELANSJanuary 29, 2025

Contact: Paige Censale, [email protected]

San Diego, California — Haitian Bridge Alliance vehemently condemns the Trump administration’s recent decision to terminate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for approximately 600,000 Venezuelans residing in the United States. This action, announced by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, not only jeopardizes the safety and well-being of countless individuals but also contradicts America’s global commitment to human rights and humanitarian principles.

Temporary Protected Status (TPS) is a humanitarian immigration program established under the Immigration Act of 1990 (INA § 244) . It grants temporary legal status to nationals of designated countries experiencing ongoing armed conflict, environmental disasters, or other extraordinary and temporary conditions that make safe return impossible.

The Secretary of Homeland Security has the authority to designate a country for TPS based on the following statutory justifications:

  1. Ongoing Armed Conflict (e.g., civil war) that poses a serious threat to the personal safety of returning nationals.
  2. Environmental Disaster or Epidemic, such as earthquakes, hurricanes, or public health crises, where the home country’s government is unable to adequately respond.
  3. Extraordinary and Temporary Conditions that prevent nationals from safely returning, provided that granting TPS would not be contrary to U.S. national interests.

TPS recipients are allowed to live and work legally in the United States for the duration of the designation. The termination of TPS for a country occurs when the administration determines that the conditions that initially justified the designation no longer exist.

Here, the revocation of TPS for Venezuelans disregards the ongoing humanitarian crisis  in Venezuela, where political instability, economic collapse, and widespread human rights abuses have forced millions to flee their homeland. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), more than 7.7 million Venezuelans have left the country in search of protection and a better life, making it one of the largest displacement crises in the world. The majority—over 6.5 million people—have been hosted in Latin American and Caribbean countries.

Within Venezuela, the situation remains dire. An estimated 7.6 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance, struggling to access adequate healthcare, nutrition, and essential services. The termination of TPS ignores these harsh realities, effectively condemning thousands to return to life-threatening conditions.

This decision is emblematic of the administration’s broader xenophobic agenda, which seeks to marginalize immigrant communities and dismantle systems of protection for the most vulnerable. It perpetuates a narrative that devalues the lives of those seeking safety and undermines the rich diversity that strengthens our nation. Such actions serve only to sow division and perpetuate systemic injustices against marginalized populations.

Guerline Jozef, Executive Director of Haitian Bridge Alliance. Release the following statement:

“Haitian Bridge Alliance stands in solidarity with the Venezuelan community and all TPS holders who are being targeted by policies that undermine our nation’s laws, values of compassion and refuge. We call on Congress to take immediate action to provide permanent protection for TPS holders and ensure that no family is forced to return to dangerous conditions. In the interim, we call on Congress to use its power to force the administration to rescind its position”

HELP US DEFEND THE HAITIAN COMMUNITY AGAINST MALICIOUS ATTACKS AND RESPOND TO ONGOING EMERGENCIES

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