Miami city leaders are urging the federal government to immediately reinstate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Venezuelans. They argues that conditions in the country remain dangerous and unstable despite the recent capture of Nicolás Maduro.
Miami Mayor Eileen Higgins called on U.S. authorities to reverse the 2025 decision, saying the developments of the past weekend only underscore the risks of forcing people to return. Maduro was captured on Saturday during a U.S. led operation and is now facing drug trafficking charges in New York.
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Miami leaders advocates for TPS for Venezuelans
Higgins said the political and security uncertainty following Maduro’s arrest makes clear that Venezuela is still unsafe. She emphasized that no one should be compelled to return to what she described as chaos and instability, particularly at a time when the country’s future leadership and governance remain unresolved.
The mayor highlighted the importance of the Venezuelan community in Miami, the largest in the United States. According to Higgins, Venezuelan immigrants have made significant economic, cultural, and social contributions to the city. She criticized the earlier termination of TPS as reckless and unfair, noting that it placed thousands of families in legal limbo.
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Why the authorities removed the TPS?
The U.S. government ended TPS protections for Venezuelans earlier the past year, arguing that conditions in the country had improved. The decision affected an estimated 350,000 people, many of whom now face the loss of work authorization and protection from deportation.
Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava also voiced strong support for restoring TPS for Venezuelans. She said ending the program was a dangerous decision that left too many people without legal pathways to remain in the United States, even as Venezuela continues to face deep instability.
Levine Cava noted that many Venezuelan families fled years of political persecution under the governments of Hugo Chávez and Nicolás Maduro. She argued that reducing protections for those who sought refuge in the U.S. ignores the realities that forced them to leave in the first place.
While welcoming the end of what she described as Maduro’s illegitimate presidency, Levine Cava cautioned that the next phase for Venezuela is critical. She said local leaders are still assessing the full scope and consequences of U.S. actions, while stressing that compassion and legal protections for Venezuelans in the U.S. must remain a priority.
