Then-Miami Mayor-elect Eileen Higgins holds a press conference on Dec. 10. Miami is home to many Venezuelan expats.
Joe Raedle/Getty Images
Joe Raedle/Getty Images
In response to the recent U.S. military’s capture of Venezuela’s leader, Miami Mayor Eileen Higgins is urging the Trump administration to renew temporary protected status (TPS) for Venezuelans.
Mayor Higgins criticized the 2025 decision to end TPS for Venezuelans, describing it as “reckless, dangerous, and wrong,” and called for its immediate reinstatement.
Miami, with its significant Venezuelan expatriate community, recently saw Higgins become the city’s first Democratic mayor in nearly 30 years. Highlighting the ongoing turmoil in Venezuela, she stated, “The instability unfolding in Venezuela today makes it even clearer that the country remains unsafe for people to return. No one should be forced back into chaos and uncertainty.”
In May, the U.S. Supreme Court allowed the Trump administration to lift TPS protections for over 350,000 Venezuelans, leaving many vulnerable to deportation. The program provides essential legal protections and work permits to those affected by crises.
In October, the administration was granted permission by the high court to proceed with ending TPS for Venezuela, overriding a prior lower court decision. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem defended this move, emphasizing the need for legal compliance and offering the option for individuals to apply for refugee status.
A Department of Homeland Security statement claimed that Venezuelans could now return to “a country that they love,” despite the ongoing humanitarian crisis that has displaced approximately 7.9 million people, as reported by the UNHCR.
