Miami Mayor Urges Trump to Restore TPS for Venezuelans

Miami Mayor Eileen Higgins has called on the Trump administration to immediately reinstate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Venezuelans, following a recent U.S. military operation that captured Venezuela’s president.

Higgins criticized the administration’s decision to end TPS protections in early 2025, calling it “reckless, dangerous, and wrong.”

Miami is home to a large Venezuelan expat population, and Higgins, who was sworn in last month as the city’s first Democratic mayor in nearly three decades, said the current instability in Venezuela makes it unsafe for people to return.

Key Highlights

• Miami Mayor Eileen Higgins urges Trump to reinstate TPS for Venezuelans
• Supreme Court rulings allowed TPS protections to end for hundreds of thousands
• DHS defends decision as Venezuela crisis drives millions to flee

In a statement, she emphasized that Venezuelans in the U.S. have built lives, contributed to their communities, and deserve security while their country remains unstable. Higgins framed the issue as one of human dignity and safety, not just immigration policy.

In May, the U.S. Supreme Court allowed the Trump administration to temporarily remove legal protections for more than 350,000 Venezuelans living in the U.S. under TPS. The court later, in October, granted the administration’s request to halt a lower court ruling that had blocked the termination of TPS, clearing the way for the program’s end.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem defended the administration’s stance, stating that TPS decisions are made with the State Department and White House. She noted that affected individuals may apply for refugee status, but stressed the need to enforce immigration law.

Also Read: Lula Warns U.S. Strike on Venezuela Could Spark Regional Crisis

The Department of Homeland Security later stated that TPS was ended for more than 500,000 Venezuelans. According to UNHCR, at least 7.9 million people have fled Venezuela’s humanitarian crisis.