The White House approved the suspension of deportations for some Venezuelans in an 11th hour earlier President Trump
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The White House said in a memo released on Tuesday that it approves delayed forced departure (DED) for Venezuelans. Recipients of the deferment will be able to live and work in the US, similar to those protected by temporary protected status (TPS).
The memo hammered at the government of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, accusing its corruption of causing “the worst humanitarian crisis in the Western Hemisphere in recent memory.”
“A catastrophic economic crisis and shortages of basic supplies and medicines have forced about five million Venezuelans to flee the country, often under dangerous conditions,” the White House wrote in the memo.
“The deteriorating situation in Venezuela, which is an ongoing threat to the national security of the security and well-being of the American people, justifies delay in the removal of Venezuelan citizens present in the United States.”
The new policy is a final swipe against the White House Maduro regime, which opposition leader Juan Guaidó has recognized as interim president since 2019 after a 2018 presidential race that Maduro won, but observers say fraud is common.
Maduro seemed to barely hold on to power after the elections as an alarming humanitarian crisis fueled by food and drug shortages worsened, and Western nations rallied around Guaidó. Ultimately, however, he managed to hold onto the presidency as enthusiasm among the opposition waned and international attention shifted elsewhere.
The new policy postpones deportations for “any citizen of Venezuela, or aliens without nationality who last resided in Venezuela, who has been in the United States since January 20, 2021.”
Those not protected by the program include Venezuelans who “voluntarily returned to Venezuela or their country of last habitual residence outside the United States”; have not lived continuously in the US; have been convicted of a crime or two or more crimes; subject to extradition; the Secretary of Homeland Security “has determined that it is not in the interest of the United States or a threat to public security;” the Secretary of State “has reasonable grounds to believe that this could have serious adverse effects on foreign policy for the United States.”
The move was met with applause from some Republican lawmakers who have long advocated the need for the US to take a stand against socialist dictatorships like Venezuela.
“We have a fundamental obligation to provide a safe haven for those fleeing tyranny and oppression. This act of solidarity provides our Venezuelan exiled community much-needed security in these unprecedented times, ”said Rep. María Elvira Salazar (R-Fla.). “I will never stop fighting for this just cause until Venezuela is liberated from the murderous socialist Maduro regime and is once again a vibrant, prosperous democracy that respects the rule of law.”