Venezuelans and City Bureaucrats Scramble for Next Steps After Trump Yanks Protected Status
Action and Uncertainty
Action by the Trump administration to cancel protected immigration status for people from Venezuela has migrants — and the city workers assigned to help them — grappling for any possible path forward.
At the bustling NYC Asylum Seeker Application Help Center in Hell’s Kitchen on Wednesday, three Venezuelans seeking help with renewing Temporary Protected Status under a Biden administration extension issued shortly before President Donald Trump’s inauguration.
Each described a dramatically different experience.
One was told to wait 15 days and see where the final details of Trump’s rollback land, another was told to come back next week to seek a new appointment, while a third managed to submit their paperwork for an extension — though it is unlikely the federal Department of Homeland Security will process it.
“There’s a lot of us Venezuelans trying to do the right thing. If the president takes that away, oh my God,” said Alejandro Monsalves, 28, in Spanish, after he was told to come back in 15 days. “We’re in a moment of uncertainty.”
Late Extension
TPS is a form of immigration relief that temporarily shields people from deportation and conveys legal status to people who hail from countries the U.S. deems too unstable or unsafe to return to. Seventeen countries including Venezuela have the designation.
The source familiar with operations at the site said the center continued to file some TPS extensions for Venezuelans on Wednesday in the hopes they might be processed if they had been postmarked before the rule officially changed.
“Maybe they’ll still get through,” they mused. We just don’t know.”
Liz Garcia, a spokesperson for City Hall, said the Asylum Application Help Center had helped 11,500 Venezuelans apply for TPS and work authorization since it opened in 2023.
Venezuelans in New York City
Venezuelans, the largest single group in New York City migrant shelters, have been racing to renew their TPS applications following a last-minute move by the Biden administration to extend that protection through October of 2026.
This week, however, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem signed an action vacating that Biden extension, meaning most Venezuelans will lose their protection from deportation in April if the memo survives legal challenges.
Adding uncertainty, the memo requires Noem to decide by Saturday whether or not to extend TPS for Venezuelans. If she does nothing, the provision would be renewed automatically for six months. In the meantime, Trump diplomatic envoy Richard Grenell is expected to meet with President Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela on Friday, according to CNN.
Immigration Attorneys Urge Action
Immigration attorneys are now urging Venezuelans who may not have already applied for asylum to do so given the uncertainty around the future of the TPS designation.
“If they have a fear of returning and they have not filed for asylum they should consider filing an application for filing now,” said Melissa Chua, the co-director of the Immigrant Protection Unit of the New York Legal Assistance Group.
Conclusion
The uncertainty surrounding the future of TPS for Venezuelans has left many migrants and city workers scrambling for answers. As the situation continues to unfold, it is clear that the fate of thousands of Venezuelans in New York City hangs in the balance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is Temporary Protected Status (TPS)?
A: TPS is a form of immigration relief that temporarily shields people from deportation and conveys legal status to people who hail from countries the U.S. deems too unstable or unsafe to return to.
Q: How many Venezuelans have applied for TPS through the NYC Asylum Seeker Application Help Center?
A: According to Liz Garcia, a spokesperson for City Hall, the center has helped 11,500 Venezuelans apply for TPS and work authorization since it opened in 2023.
Q: What happens if the memo requiring Noem to decide on TPS extensions is not signed by Saturday?
A: If Noem does not sign the memo, the provision would be renewed automatically for six months.
Q: What should Venezuelans who may not have already applied for asylum do?
A: Immigration attorneys are urging Venezuelans who may not have already applied for asylum to do so given the uncertainty around the future of the TPS designation.
